Saints for Slackers

St. Edith Stein was a saint who inspires our courage amidst life's most difficult moments. Learn how after giving up her faith, this remarkable woman made her way back to God, a convent, and martyrdom at the hand of the Nazis. Listen as John shares about the miraculous journey of St. Edith Stein — from Jewish roots to no faith in God at all, she finds her way to Catholicism, religious life and...

St. Patrick is the saint we think we know for the Irish, beer, and four-leaf clovers—who many of us don’t really know at all. Patrick was an unlearned, kidnapped, and unreligious man who overcame the odds and achieved great things for Christ. First off, St. Patrick wasn't even Irish! He was kidnapped by Irish raiders in Britain. But St. Patrick didn't allow this setback, along with his lac...

St. Lawrence was infamous as a radical follower of Christ...to the point where he eagerly awaited his martyrdom of being cooked on a grill, which he was sentenced to by the Roman Emperor Valerian in 2nd century Rome. Lawrence is a saint who puts us all to the test with his ability to suffer radically for Jesus - to the point of a slow and tortuous death. He's been called the "Ragin' Ca...

St. Hildegard was a true renaissance woman who enjoyed the fruits of a rich life in God, the creative arts, science and more. If you're looking for a saint to crush on—St. Hildegard is an easy one! While this woman encountered a desire to enter religious life at 15 years old, she pursued a full life inside and outside of the convent. She had visions, wrote music and poetry, and treatises on me...

St. Joseph of Cupertino was a simple, holy, and greatly misunderstood friar. A man who encountered rejection, accusation, and skepticism from his peers—he reached the heights of holiness and union with God, as manifested in frequent ecstasies and even levitating in prayer and at Mass. A holy man, St. Joseph of Cupertino was misjudged by others but elevated to great heights by God. Bridget Holtz is...

St. Joan of Arc KNEW, without a doubt and despite opposition and persecution, that God had called her to a special mission: to save the Catholic King and the Catholic Church in France - and ultimately to save souls for Christ. She was the heroic, warrior saint who shows us how to enter the battlefield for God! Moira of Modern Catholic Mom i s a Midwest girl — though she lived for a short while in...

St. Maximilian Kolbe is the saint who gave up his life to save a fellow Auschwitz prisoner. He loved to remind us that truth is not relative, but a fundamental creation of God. St. Maximilian challenges us to overcome the obstacles of life by growing in our faith and staying close to the sacraments to gain strength - so that we might become one with Truth, the Truth that is our Lord Jesus Christ....

St. Pope John Paul II was the pope who urgently taught us to fight for the family. We learn to live out our identity as adopted sons and daughters of God in the family. Of the many wonderful treasures offered to us from this incredible pope and saint, his advocacy for the family is second to none. His teachings echo in our hearts that strong families make strong nations, and strong nations produce...

St. Elizabeth Ann Seton suffered the loss of loved ones throughout her life, which left her feeling empty and in search for more. She eventually found all she was looking for, and so much more, in finding her home in the Catholic Church and in the arms of Mary, the Mother of God. This saint teaches us to find all we could ever want and need in God Our Father and Mary Our Mother. Fr. Joe O’Connor s...

St. Benedict teaches monks, and us, how to live a Christ-centered & Christ-ordered life. St. Benedict began a deep walk with the Lord as a hermit, living in solitude for three years. He then started opening monasteries, and developing principles to structure a monk's daily way of life, which we know of today as "The Benedictine Rule." This saint taught monks how to be monks. The qu...

St. Veronica knelt down, wiped a suffering face with love and compassion, and became a saint! The example of St. Veronica teaches us that loving our neighbors well is a ticket to sainthood. When we can see the face of Jesus in those around us and love them, we are not far from the love St. Veronica showed Jesus in wiping His face. The love we put into small gestures and acts of service holds a pow...

St. Louis Martin was a remarkable saint, husband & father, and a man who helped build an entire family dedicated to God. He can teach us how to lead and be members of a holy family and household. St. Louis Martin entered a special and holy marriage with another saint, his wife St. Zelie Martin. Together, they raised a family that offered their whole lives to God. Our podcast & reflection f...

St. Zelie Martin became the mother of a family that radically said "Yes" to God's plans. She is a saint who teaches us to say yes to God no matter what, to His unique and unexpected plans, joys, sorrows, and everything else that means following God in all things. Our podcast & reflection for today is by slacker Kelly Breaux. Kelly is from the small town of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana....

St. Gianna Molla was a wife, mother, doctor, and God's faithful servant. St. Gianna inspires us to open ourselves to the many ways God will call us to use our gifts and talents for His glory. She particularly inspires any woman who longs to follow Christ in all things. She practiced self-giving daily in her call to her family, her medical patients, and in the stillness of prayer with God. Our...

Our Lady of Guadalupe: A Mother Whose Promise & Love NEVER Fails Our Lady of Guadalupe challenges us, her beloved and sometimes overly self-reliant children, to remember that she always has our back. She will protect us and care for our every need. Even when St. Juan Diego tried to avoid meeting her again to take care of his affairs, she found him wherever he was. She reminded him, and us, tha...

St. Francis de Sales was a 16th-century spiritual master who teaches us to reject fear and embrace the crosses in life . This saint reminds us not to worry about tomorrow, for the God who cares for us today will also care for us every day. St. Francis de Sales draws our attention back to what we know to be true: worry is useless and we cannot escape suffering in this life. But take heart, he also...

Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati was the mountaineer saint who loved God and fellow man - to the fullest! Frassati was an Italian, charismatic, and loving young man who spent his time serving the poor and suffering, while also living a full life with his friends by his side.  Simply put for slackers, Pier loved God, served the poor, played jokes, and scaled mountains. Our podcast & reflection for...

St. Pio, also known as the Padre of the famous words, “Pray, Hope, and Don't Worry!”, is the saint who encourages us to keep hope at all times. Worry is useless! These are some of the famous words given to us by this special and holy saint, a Capuchin friar who spent most of his days hearing countless confessions, and the rest of his time being a faithful spiritual father, friend, and counselo...

St. John Vianney is the saint whose faithfulness made him beloved in all of France.  He was now for his faithfulness, austerity, and for being a dedicated confessor—hearing up to 75,000 confessions per year. He was so faithful in fighting for souls, the devil never left him alone. Our podcast & reflection for today is by slacker Tammi McCarthy, a writer and speaker on the Little With Great Lov...

St. Faustina is the saint who reminds us that God loves it when we trust him more and more. Jesus appeared to St. Faustina repeatedly, giving her the message of His Divine Mercy, His merciful love for all of souls. He chose to share His message of love and mercy through a slacker who became a great saint. Our podcast & reflection for today is by slacker Michelle Hillaert, a writer and speaker...

St. John XXIII surprised his peers by doing the unexpected and carrying the Catholic Church through big changes and growth during his papacy! He was the "Good" Pope who reminds us to always trust in God! Our podcast & reflection for today is by Dr. Bob McCarty who lives with his wife Maggie in Laurel, Maryland. Bob is a pastoral ministry consultant and trainer and adjunct faculty at Th...

St. Teresa of Avila reminds us that during our hardest times and biggest storms, we never have to be afraid—everything passes and with God, we have all that we need.  Our podcast & reflection for today is by Barb Smerecki, who hails from the Metro Detroit area of Michigan. Barb is a retiree with over 30 years of law enforcement service as an Intelligence Analyst. She has been a volunteer with...

St. Teresa of Calcutta, one of our beloved modern-day saints, loved, served, and suffered with all God's poor and forgotten children. Jesus' thirst for souls took hold of St. Teresa's heart, and the desire to satiate His thirst became the driving force of her life. Our podcast & reflection for today is by Kelly Breaux of Breaux Bridge, Louisiana. Kelly and her husband Ryan are the...

Today Little With Great Love Founder, Lisa Martinez, gives a little insight into the relationship between St. Albert the Great and St. Thomas Aquinas. Her 3-minute written reflection and short podcast show us how God chooses whomever He wishes to do whatever He asks, especially the social outcasts. Read and learn more here : https://www.littlewithgreatlove.com/st-albert-the-great

Blessed Solanus Casey shows us how to become saints in the simplest of ways - in being beacons of light and bringing hope to everyone we encounter.  Our podcast & reflection for today is by Jeff Sanchez, a theology faculty member of Monsignor Edward Pace High School in South Florida. He enjoys craft beers, good food, and family time. Jeff has always had a passion for using his gifts for the Lo...