A Taste of Heaven through the Lives of the Saints

by Elizabeth Yank

    We are living in a world of moral decay. At times it seems to be careening out of control. We have only to turn on the TV, look at movie theater listings, or glance at the cover of the latest tabloid to wonder how far can we go.

    As parents, we may reminisce about the past and worry about the future for our children. How can we combat this onslaught of immoral values?

    Interestingly, when we read the lives of the saints, they too had to combat the spiritual and moral problems of their days. Even if they lived in a “sheltered environment,” they still had to battle the demon of self-centeredness. They still had to cope with the weaknesses of human nature that are a result of man’s sinful, fallen nature.

    Saints can illuminate our way to the truth of Christ, because they too had to endure the same trials and tribulations. They can mentor and guide us as no other can, except God or the Blessed Mother. We have only to take the time to read about their lives, to seek their advice, and follow their example.

    As we strive to instill the virtues of truth and goodness in our young children, it is never too early to begin reading the lives of the great men and women of the Church who have gone before us. We may wish that there is a curriculum that educates our children in the many virtues we hope for them to attain, but the easiest, most painless, most fruitful way to instill values in our children, other than through our example, is through the lives of the saints.

    Especially created for the young reader, Pauline Books and Media has recently published a new saint series: Along the Paths of the Gospel. Along the Paths of the Gospel is a series of saints books, which are designed in the style of a picture book with the added features of an introduction, glossary, an interesting fact section, and a prayer. Bright, colorful pictures enhance these lovely books, which unfold the lives of St. Vincent de Paul, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. John Bosco, St. Colette, and St. Francis of Assisi. Engrossing reading for the young, or young at heart, these stories follow the saints’ lives from their birth through their final moments, highlighting the major and significant events of their lives, as well as revealing the turning points in their faith.

    Although written for the young reader, these books do not water down the powerful statements of faith each one of their lives represent. At the same time, these stories do not candy coat the saints’ lives as all joy, without hard work, suffering, or disappointment. Similarly, these books unveil that the true source of their inner strength comes from their burning love for God. They can do incredible feats because they love their Heavenly Father, they have an unfathomable trust in his goodness and kindness, even while experiencing terrible suffering. As St. Thérèse cries out in her final moments of excruciating pain, “’Oh! I Love him! My God, I love You!’”

For the child, who is uncertain about his future vocation, or to put it simply, not sure about his purpose or mission in life, he is not alone. The saints too struggled with following the will of God. Although St. Anthony knew he had a vocation when he was child, later when he became a Franciscan, he was greatly disappointed when health prevented him from preaching and serving in Morocco. “All through the winter and far into the spring he had to stay in bed. What did God want him to do?”

Even when life seems impossible, the saints persevered. Not knowing where he would get the money for his schooling to become a priest, St. John Bosco refused the gift of a benefactor, who had died, turning it over to his relatives, saying “’God will look after me, because he wants me for himself.’” Later in life, again he would display his complete trust in Divine Providence when he announced ambitious plans to build a new church. “’We have to build a great church dedicated to Our Lady, Help of Christians!’ he announced. ‘But we don’t have enough money’ his helpers protested. ‘When have we waited until we had enough money before starting? The Virgin Mary herself will provide whatever we need. Each brick in the building will be a gift from Mary!’”

For almost every situation we encounter, the saints have wrestled with the same issue. We have only to seek their advice through prayer.

    Laying the foundation of a virtuous life begins when a child is young. Don’t wait until your child is old enough to read these for himself. These wonderful books will make a welcome addition to your read aloud collection. These books offer children a chance to see that being a saint is a glorious thing, and something we should all want to be. Offer your children a refreshing change from the world around them, offer them a taste of heaven through the lives of the saints.

Elizabeth Yank writes from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where she home educates her five children.

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