Saturday, October 30, 2010

Just Curious: Virtues and Saints





As we approach the Solemnity of All Saints (the day we celebrate all the saints in Heaven, known and unknown), I thought it would be interesting to ask you about virtues and saints.

So, my questions are:

1) What is the virtue you believe is most needed in the world today, and what is the virtue you most desire for yourself?

2) Who is your favorite saint/blessed?

Here are my answers:

1) I think that courage is the virtue most needed in the world today, because I believe it is the most lacking. I personally most desire the virtues of humility and service (because they are most lacking in me!!).

2) That's a tough one. My favorite saint has to be the Blessed Virgin Mary, because I believe she has looked out for me (and tried to call me home) since I was a little girl. My other favorites are Blessed Zelie Martin (the mother of St. Therese) and St. Padre Pio. Wait... and St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein). Oh, and how could I forget St. Maximilian Kolbe? Or John Paul the Great? Or St. John the Evangelist? Or St. Teresa of Avila? Ack, I need to stop!! Your turn....

20 comments:

  1. It's funny you say you desire more humility - I was going to answer that humility is the virtue most lacking in the world today. Especially after hearing Fr Corapi speak today, I am convinced this is true - evil comes into the world through huburous/pride, and the antithesis of those are humility (as Father was saying). I also believe it is severely lacking in me, even after ALL THESE YEARS of being beat over the head with suffering. I still manage to hold on to the belief that I am the one responsible for any good thing that comes from my life ;) How is this possible? I am such a human!

    Pray for me!

    And my favorite Saints are St Therese of Lisieux, St James the Greater (whose feast day is my birthday, and after learning this I discovered he's actually in some key "special" moments in Jesus' life, like the Transfiguration), St Gianna, Archangel Raphael (my patron for 2010)... and my Grandma :)
    I also have a devotion to Mary, especially Our Lady of Guadalupe this year.

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  2. St. Philip Neri and John Paul II for me!

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  3. well, theological virtues for the world, faith, hope and charity. EVERYONE needs those.

    Oh I love John Paul 2 and Mother Teresa, also our new kid's patron saint ;) Can't give THAT away!

    I think the world needs a good dose of "sketchy-ness" too ;)

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  4. St. Anne, Blessed Mother, and St. Gianna are my faves...I honestly don't think we'd be expecting without their intersessions.

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  5. Hi!

    Great questions!

    I would say the virtue of fortitude both in terms of enduring things presented by life but also in terms of defending the things that are right and true.

    In my case the ones most lacking are also: Humility, faith (with IF I have been lacking this in particular) and temperance. I am horrible with moderation and order.

    Favourite saints:

    St Anthony as I was taught his devotion by my grandmother. She was very, very close to him and to the Sacred Heart. June 13th (St Anthonys of Padua feast day) is the anniversary of my parents marriage and many years later my grandmother died on this same day and ten years later also my grandfather. For fruther coincidence June also in the month of the Sacred Heart. I belive also that my Grandmother is interceeding for me so its common that I ask all three for help.

    St Gianna Molla. I got married on her feast day without knowing it and when I later through the blogs learned about her. Now I often invoque her for help.

    St. Ignatius of Loyola: I studied with the Jesuits in the University and was very moved by his life and conversion.

    John Paul II: =) Loved him!

    Since my miscarriage angels and guardian angels have become more important and specially St, Michael after whom we named our baby Miguel.

    I have also a special devotion to Mary, specially to our Lady of Guadalupe whom I love and have become specially close due to my IF and her being pregnant and also to a German one: Our lady who unties knots.

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  6. I would say humility (in the world) and humility (for myself). Oh my, answering the question about your favorite saints is like saying which child do I love more (well, if I had any children here on earth that is!)...it is very difficult. But here we go:

    St. Gianna, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, St. Elizabeth of the Visitation, St. Elizabeth of Hungary, St. Therese of LIsieux, Venerable Solanus Casey, St. Faustina, St. Anne, Bl. Mother Teresa, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Padre Pio, St. Peter, St. Alphonsus Liguori, Blessed Kateri Tekawitha and so many others.

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  7. I think humility is definitely the virtue most needed in the world. Sometimes I scare myself with how prideful I am.

    The virtue I need most is whatever is the opposite of sloth. lol I am not disciplined AT ALL...I waste so much time laying around. :(

    My favorite saint (besides the Blessed Mother, of course) is St. Therese of the Child Jesus, hands down. She inspires me in ways no other saint can! :) I love her so much!

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  8. 1) what's needed most - temperance; what I need most - prudence.

    2) Well, I've named my kids after my favorite saints so far - their middle names are Mary, Joseph, and Elizabeth :). I'm also a St. Therese of Liseux groupie. And I love St. Maximilian Kolbe. My confirmation saint was St. Anne.

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  9. Unfortunately, I think the world needs almost all of the virtues... courage is a good one, generosity, wisdom, etc.

    I know the one I need the most is PATIENCE. I've been praying for it a lot of the past year and it's AMAZING how much more patient I've become. I told one of my agnostic friends - if you need proof that God exists, you can find it in how much I've prayed for patience this past year!

    I am still in the process of learning about all the saints (I enjoy reading about them in the Magnificat each day) so I can't say I have a favorite right now. I have been asking St. Peter Damian to intercede for me lately as I have been having some sleep issues, and he's been praying for me, I know. I also am a HUGE fan of Theology of the Body so JPII is definitely cool in my book.

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  10. 1. I agree that the world needs more courage (who said courage is required to practice all other virttues? Someone smart!). I would also add to that wisdom. I see amazing displays of courage sometimes but used in unwise ways.

    2. St. Therese, the Little Flower. She is definitely my patron!!! But like others here, there are so many others.. Padre Pio, the Archangels, Mary (who has played a huge role in my life), Gianna... :)

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  11. Oh I forgot my own haha... I need more temperance/discipline. I often resist schedules and limits. Drives me crazy. I am in aw of those who have so much self-discipline and control (St. Therese had this gift, so again, perhaps why she ended up being my patron Saint!).

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  12. I think the world needs more Charity...real Christian Charity...not "love = niceness"!

    I think I am lacking in charity and humility!

    My favorite saint of all time is St Therese of the Little Flower...no other saint comes close!

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  13. This is a great post.

    I believe the world needs most, especially America - the virtue of purity, cultivated closely through modesty (in all areas) and temperance.

    I need humility and patience. I struggle so much with both of these.

    My favorite saints are likely the ones who spoke most of these virtues. Sorry Leila, I am not jumping on to copy you - Blessed Zelie Martin is my saint of choice to pray to these days because of her unyielding devotion to purity in her children. She removed her children from all relationships and situations that could taint her children, or put them into the near ocassion of sin. Other favorites: St. John Bosco, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Alphonsus Ligouri, St. Dymphna, St. Luke and St. James, St. Anthony, St. Therese, and moslty St. Bernadette because of her simplistic mind and heart, and the wisdom she possessed outside of knowledge.

    Happy All Saints Day!

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  14. OH!! Our tour guide gave me a holy card with relic from Blessed Zelie and told me to pray to St Therese's parents for a baby, I was in Avila 2 weeks ago - she is pretty amazing, but I have to say Blessed Jacinta after my trip to Fatima. And hands down, the virtue I would love to foster more is humility!

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  15. I would have to go with humility-for the world and for myself. I can be SO full of pride!

    My favorite saints are St. Teresa of Avila, St. Gianna, St. Padre Pio, Bl. Mother Teresa, St. Paul, and so many more!

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  16. I have to agree with you and everyone else who said HUMILITY--for the world and myself! If I am more humble, so many other good virtues tend to flow from that--compassion, charity, patience you name it!

    As for my favorite saint, St. Therese of course! (She exemplifies humility to me!)

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  17. I need more humility and compassion....Ack! Humility is something that doesn't really exist in my being. :) Oh and patience and all the other stuff.... :)

    I'm not really a big saint person....I mean, I am, but I end up forgetting novenas and haven't really had a huge saintly experience.....I love to read about them but always forget their stories because I have an awful memory...So with that being said I love St. Faustina, Padre Pio, JPII...I also read a book about a nun and I'm not sure if she is a Saint or a Blessed but she knocked me on my feet....I need to get more aquainted with them and lean on them more in my daily life....Zelie was my saint of 2010! ;)

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  18. I have to go with just about everyone else with humility, both for myself and the world.

    My favorite saints are: Thomas More, Gianna, Bernadette, Joseph, and Mama Mary!

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  19. Virtues: I think HOPE!

    Saints: St. Josemaria Escriva, St. Sebastian, St. Teresa of Avila, St. Edith Stein, St. Maria Goretti, St. Therese of Lisieux & the list can go on & on. I have a special devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe.

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  20. I think the world needs more self-control. Everyone is just out to do whatever they want, when they want, with no ability to restrain themselves.

    I personally need more humility and any amount of patience would be better than my current amount of zero.

    I feel especially drawn to St. Joseph (the carpenter). His obedience to God and dignity towards Mary is an amazing testimony. Others that especially draw me -- St. Francis de Sales, JPII, St. Clement, and Mother Theresa.

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