Walking With The Saints

Our good and gracious God has given us the awesome gift of His saints. They are our heavenly helpers and companions. St Paul refers to them as the "great cloud of witnesses", and they surely are.
Most of us are named for a particular saint. Many if us have a favorite saint or two. These heavenly souls are powerful companions because they have lived earthly lives just as we are. They know the struggles, trials and temptations we all face. While we walk this earthly exile, we are not saints, and nether were they. What made them saints was their faith in God, their love for Christ, and their humility to ask His forgiveness and mercy when they strayed or fell. These are the same things that will help us to join their ranks someday.
Life on this earth is far from easy, especially if we are striving to follow Christ and His teachings. So a little heavenly help certainly can't hurt.
A few years ago, I began a tradition on this blog of choosing a saint for anyone who wanted one. Actually, the saints choose you. All I do is pray for the person for whom I am choosing, and ask God and the saints to guide my hand to choose who they want.
In preparing to do this, I type out a list of about 100 saints names~whoever pops into my head. There are Apostles, martyrs, religious, Popes, and laity.
The great reward for me in doing this has been the stories those of you who have participated in this have shared with me. I love hearing how this saint may have helped you in the past, or that it is someone unknown to you but you are eager to learn about him or her.
So as we prepare to enter into the season of Advent and begin a new Liturgical year, the saints are ready and willing. If you would like a saint for this year, stop over at The Front Porch and leave a comment.