Patron Saints are Heavenly Friends

Patron saints are heavenly friends who know our needs and desires, and come to our aid when we seek their intercession. These holy ones once lived on earth just as you and I do now, yet found special favor with God. Some saints lived exemplary lives in complete obedience to our Heavenly Father. Others lived in an ordinary, worldly manner until experiencing a dramatic moment of enlightenment and conversion.

St. Jude

Since the earliest days of the Church, Christians have honored these particular holy ones by bestowing upon them the mantle of sainthood, and by seeking their intercession in prayer for all manner of circumstances and personal need. A notable example is a long-standing tradition among Christians of prayer to St. Jude for causes that seem lost or situations that appear to be completely hopeless. Inspirational stories attesting to St. Jude’s gracious intercession in hours of great need have strengthened the faith of countless people.

Some people believe that praying to a saint elevates that person to a place equal with God. This has never been the belief or teaching of the Church. Saints are our heavenly friends, but especially they are friends of God, and instruments of His Will. Have you ever asked an earthly friend to pray for you? However effective that person’s prayers may be, just think how much more beneficial are the prayers of a saint who resides eternally in the intimate company of God.

Certain events or issues of a saint’s earthy life serve to identify that saint with specific concerns or attributes. Thus, we have patron saints for almost every conceivable aspect of our own lives, and every good desire of our hearts. Patron saints offer assurance that we are not alone in the struggles of our lives, whether mundane or monumental. A patron saint can also be chosen because a person feels a special connection to that saint, or a patron saint may be assigned at baptism.

To express their faith and devotion to patron saints, many people wear patron saint medals. The wearing of patron saint medals has been a tradition among Christians for centuries, but doing so is strictly a matter of personal inclination. As an example, think of St. Christopher medals. Many people, even those who would not identify themselves as religious, would not dream of embarking on a trip without a St. Christopher medal around their neck or hanging in their car.

This site is intended as a collection of posts about different saints, chosen in no particular order, but as I feel inspired to write their stories. Also, it is my prayer that these stories about patron saints will bring hope and inspiration to those seeking a deeper connection with the heavenly realm.