Before I Forget&
· Preach the Gospel all the time.  If necessary, use words.
-St. Francis
· How little people know who think holiness is dull... When one meets the real thing, it's irresistible.
-C. S. Lewis
· Lord, make me see your glory in every place.
-Michelangelo

     We all have our favorite saints for one reason or another.  We have our patron saints and saints that we pray to.  For example, St. Joseph is the patron saint of a happy death.  St. Lucy had her eyes plucked out, so the Church made her the patron saint of eyes.  St. Therese of Lisieux never left her cloistered convent and died at the age of 24, but she is the patron saint of missionaries.  Maybe there is something about a saint's personality that speaks to our own.
     Saints remind us that Christ calls all types of individuals to be disciples.  I think that the lives of the saints remind us that the Church is truly catholic... it is made up of interesting individuals, in the past and in the present and no two are alike.  Just think of some of the Catholic Christians you know:  priests, Brothers, Sisters, deacons, teachers, etc.  We are an interesting, unique people of God!
     There are also great characters in the Bible.  We learn a little about ourselves from each and every Biblical personality.  What about folks like St. Paul, a zealot for the gospel?  Or, St. John, who stuck it out with Jesus to the bitter end, but who also, wanted the "best" place in the kingdom?  Of all the women Jesus knew and associated with, none was closer to Him than Mary Magdalen.  She was the very first one to meet the Risen Christ.  The same Jesus, who tells Magdalen not to touch Him, demands that Thomas  (the Rationalist) make body contact.  Jesus chose the world's most famous fisherman to be the leader of the church, namely Peter.  What a great personality he is.  Before his death, he states:  "We must obey God rather than men."  What a conversion he had, totally devoted to the Master.  And Jesus comes from the line of David, king and poet.  David had Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, murdered so he could take her as one of his wives.  From this adulterous affair comes the brilliant Solomon.  There are so many marvelous characters in scripture& and we can learn, and should learn from each and every one of them.
     If you are a "head" person or a "heart" person, there is some saint you can identify with.  If you are a "caretaker" or more an "objective, questioning, provocative, unorthodox (in the good sense) person", you, too, can find some one to identify and with and learn from; may be you have a need to be "perfect" or a need to "succeed"... or a need to be "needed"... I would encourage you to become familiar with Ignatius of Loyola (perfect), Dorothy Day (success) and Mother Teresa (need to be needed).
     If you are free from prejudice, a good peacemaker and arbitrator read the life of John XXIII.  If it's important for you to be a "team player", "reliable", "cooperative" "faithful", read the life of Archbishop Oscar Romero.  If you like "new ideas", try reading Hildegaard of Bingen.
     Guess who speaks to me as I attempt to live the Christian life/gospel?  Who would Fr. Bill identify with?  The "Less is More" saint.  He is known for his "joy".  He needed a "beautiful" environment for prayer.  He could rejoice in the flowers and birds, use a stick as a violin and dance to an imaginary melody.  He saw death as a sister/friend.  He had to learn to embrace the lepers... that there is more to life than beauty, riches and a good time... that there is sadness, pain, ugliness.  This young man found his authentic joy through sharing the pain of humanity, not by avoiding it.  He had a relationship with the whole of creation--including animals, the elements, the poor and sick, princes and prelates, women and men.  He models new human and cosmic community.
     Today, Sunday at 5:00pm, we will gather in his memory to bless the animals--dogs, cats, hamsters, fish, horses, birds, what ever you care to bring.  Like Francis of Assisi, may we be good and peaceful disciples of Christ...& and learn to embrace the "lepers " of our times.

Fr. Bill