Joan of Arc was declared a saint in 1920 by Pope Benedict XV, who called her a "most brilliantly shining light of God." From her story emerges a persona that millions, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, have come to regard as the embodiment of courage and faith.
Few Christians in history are more revered when it comes to prayer and contemplation than St. Teresa of vila. Known for her piety and rapturous mystical experiences, many have sought to pursue her path or a path like it. While some have done this formally in the Carmelite orders she established, countless others have grown in their faith and experiences of intimacy with God through her writings and prayers. This is a humble collection of some of St. Teresa's writings and meditations that form a great foundation for building stronger foundations of prayer with the Holy Spirit's guidance.
Let's live a life of love. Let's reflect on and learn from the lives of saints. The word "saint" comes from the Latin word sanctus, a translation of the Greek word hagios, which means "holy." While all of us are capable of holiness, canonization is the Church's official recognition that a particular person displayed an extraordinary degree of holiness, or devotion to God, during his or her time on earth. There is much to be learned from the words, acts, and lives of the saints of the Roman Catholic Church. Each concise biography, from Saint Francis to Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta, provides guidance for living a life of love.
What does the Dalai Lama's life teach us? Certainly, he is a sterling example of turning adversity into joyful service. But there is more to him than that. He is also a model of innovation and adaptation. He has taken the tenets of Buddhism and made them relevant to everyone. He has found commonalities in the teachings of Catholicism and Buddhism. His message is not just about personal happiness and good karma, it is also very much about respecting the earth's resources, recognizing the equality of all people, and sharing with the less fortunate. He has said that, at ninety, he will decide whether his long series of lives as the Dalai Lama will end. As of this writing, he is nearly eighty. Will he live another ten years? We can only hope so.