Saints Don’t Take Holidays (though Writers Do)

Jul 31, 2021 | Blog Posts

By Amber Kinloch

Hello Everyone!

As we wrap up our third month at St. Joseph’s Shelf, I’d like to offer you a few final thoughts about the saints.  

Throughout July, we’ve delved into the lives of a variety of saints from all different walks of life.  Each one of them was entrusted with a mission, whether it was saving a country (Joan of Arc), raising a faith-filled family (Louis & Zélie Martin), or defending and preserving the Faith even at the cost of one’s own life (Stanley Rother).  All of these men and women were needed.  So are you.

You may not be called to martyrdom like Edmund Campion, but nevertheless you have a mission.  There is something God is calling you to do, and it’s up to you to find out what it is and do it.  Again, it doesn’t have to be grand.  What matters is that you’re doing what God wants, and that you’re doing it with and for Love.  Give Him your heart and He will work wonders.

Don’t take this as something sentimental.  God gives us consolations, yes, but loving Him is anything but a sugar-coated experience.  It is an act of the will, a firm, unconditional “yes” no matter what.  Anyone who sincerely strives after this is on the road to greatness.

A general update: August 1st–15th, we are taking a break from posting articles so that everyone can enjoy some downtime before the impending bustle of fall.  On August 16th, we will return with some “passing musings”—short, on-point articles focused on eclectic insights from ordinary life.

Also, don’t forget to participate in the poll for September topics, live now through August 9th.  (See the bar at the top of the page.)  Your feedback is anonymous and greatly appreciated.

Thank you for joining us here at St. Joseph’s Shelf.  Have a blessed August!

~Amber

P.S. While we’re on break, I encourage you to check out our resources page.  It includes books, music, podcasts, and other resources ranging from the delightful and diverting, to the thoughtful and serious.  All are imbued with the Faith and, we hope, spiritually nourishing.

Amber Kinloch

Amber Kinloch

Amber  writes from the bunker of her living room.  There she hunkers down with her laptop and a blanket while keeping an eye and ear tuned in to the activity of family life.  Music set on loop keeps her energy flowing as she muses on the deeper happenings of ordinary life and what food to restock the fridge with.

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Are you looking for ways to apply your Faith to your daily life and become a saint? We publish practical Catholic reflections on ordinary life every week.

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