What of the lives of...
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What of the lives of saints? Usually the term is used jokingly or with a sense of relief if someone has suddenly decided to help out in a difficult situation. These examples of the faith are not simply pious additions to our traditions. Rather they are essential for helping us live the Christian life. How many times have we said out loud or privately, "If they can make it through, so can I!"
Paul invites the Philippians to "join in imitating me ..." He is obviously worried about the crossroads many of them confront as they decide which people to follow. And his words likewise help us to focus on who it is we are imitating.
Our culture offers numerous individuals to emulate. They take on the status of secular "saints." Many become those cultural and sports heroes whose salary is large and whose day in the sun is brief.
Who are the alternatives for true reflection? Today contemporary saints are listed on many prayer calendars for our consideration. These include Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Mother Theresa and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. They have lived the gospel in relationship to the outcast, the poor, the imprisoned and the abused. They have done so with a focus on things beyond themselves, with an eye to the changes in glory which all of God's saints eventually arrive at.
--Hedahl
Paul invites the Philippians to "join in imitating me ..." He is obviously worried about the crossroads many of them confront as they decide which people to follow. And his words likewise help us to focus on who it is we are imitating.
Our culture offers numerous individuals to emulate. They take on the status of secular "saints." Many become those cultural and sports heroes whose salary is large and whose day in the sun is brief.
Who are the alternatives for true reflection? Today contemporary saints are listed on many prayer calendars for our consideration. These include Martin Luther King, Jr., Dorothy Day, Mother Theresa and Dietrich Bonhoeffer. They have lived the gospel in relationship to the outcast, the poor, the imprisoned and the abused. They have done so with a focus on things beyond themselves, with an eye to the changes in glory which all of God's saints eventually arrive at.
--Hedahl
