Saintly Cowards and Holy Families

Today's "Saint of Today and Yesterday" is the Korean martyr St. Catharine Yi whose daughter, Saint Magdalene Cho, was also a martyr as well as a consecrated virgin. Yesterday's was St. Ignatius Kim, another martyr, whose son St. Andrew Kim was likewise martyred. The first theme that emerges here, and throughout the stories of the saints, is that holiness runs in families. And so, I pause to pray for myself and my family, and families, including all my in-law connections: Come Holy Spirit, make us holy, all of us! I am particularly heartened by these two saints, however, because their weakness is so obvious. Catharine at first vigorously resisted her daughter's call to virginity and was won over after many years. More pertinent for me, however, is Ignatius. Under torture in prison, his courage weakened and he apostasized. Subsequently, he was encouraged by his fellow Christians to renew his faith. He did so and was subsequently tortured and died in a heroic and holy manner. Now this is a saint I can emulate as I have long considered myself a "coward in recovery." My tolerance for pain is very low. What I see in Ignatius, however, is that he was strengthened by the faith, patience, love, hope and pardon of the community, of the Church. And so, in my own weakness, I place my trust in my Savior and the grace he gives me in the Church. Come Holy Spirit, inspire those of us who are cowardly with the gift of courage! Saints Ignatius and Catharine, Magdalene and Andrew, pray for us!