The saints of our Faith have much wisdom for us to learn from. One commonality between all of them is that they demonstrated heroic virtue in their lives. This is the type of virtue which places the will of God and love of others above all. Over and over, we see this type of virtue alive in the saints. Here are some other commonalties many of the saints have.
Love of prayer
All the saints without exception had a love of prayer. Prayer is our relationship with God enabling us to do his will. It also helps us to deal with the difficulties of life in all circumstances. In reading the lives of the saints, they are lovers of God and of time in prayer. Whether it be eucharistic adoration or contemplative prayer, the saints make time to adore the lord and be with him. St. John Paul II, St. Teresa of Calcutta, and Venerable Fulton J. Sheen are just some who are known for their deep devotion to daily prayer.
Love of others
The saints have displayed various personalities. Some are outgoing while others are more introverted. Some loved being around people, and then others preferred alone time most of the time. Either way, the saints have in common their love of other people. They willed the best for all those around them, and they prayed for their eternal salvation. We can do the same today. St. Francis of Assisi is known as a joyful saint, while St. Francis de Sales is known for his gentleness. These are examples of varied personalities in the lives of the saints.
Love of God’s will
The saints prayed for God’s will in all things even if it involved suffering and death. They always prayed to stay close to Jesus especially in the tragedies of life. Many of the saints were martyred but not all. Some suffered internally by renouncing their will to do what God wanted. It was not an easy task, but they always offered themselves fully to God. Examples of sacrificial saints are St. Maximillian Kolbe and St. Gianna Beretta Molla.
Resignation
They had a resignation to continue even along the most difficult paths. In this journey they found joy which is only found in doing as the lord wishes. Even upon death, the saints were joyful to do God’s will. This was a holy resignation, and they did so willingly.
We are all called saints no matter our life situations, vocations, or circumstances. God loves us immensely. We can be saints in following the guidance of the holy spirit every day of our lives.
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