Just like most people in this world, I don't lead a monastic life and sometimes it can be hard to juggle the Word and the world in which I live. Everyone I know has struggled with some of the things Christ calls us to do in scripture... give up everything, detach oneself from wealth, etc. As a soon-to-be married man, providing for a family one day, I can honestly say that sometimes it's hard to relate to the great monastic saints of the Church.
We have Christ's lead to follow of course, but as Catholics we also have the amazingly rich lives of saints to ponder over. These amazing people did their best to follow Christ and in doing so are examples of piety and Christian vocation for us. But with the overwhelming majority of them having led monastic lives (or so it seems at times), it can be a bit tough to relate. After all, St. Francis wasn't married. Neither was St. Paul or St. Therese'.
I subscribe to the American Catholic.org "Saint of the Day" email and I'm glad that I do. Today's saint is Servant of God Orlando Catanii. I had never heard of him before, but upon reading his short bio in the email, I was inspired. Orlando was rich, he was nobility, and yet he was inspired by St. Francis and decided to follow his example. Orlando gave his palace at the foot of Mount La Verna to St. Francis and became a third order Franciscan. On his estate a church was erected, as well as, a convent and several chapels. Orlando departed from earthly treasures and instead did various works of charity as a Christian nobleman.
This was a much-needed read for me. It teaches me that there is always a way to follow the pious examples of the saints we admire. I don't have a palace to give up, but I know I have skills God is free to use any time He wants. And I'm more than willing to have Him work through me. Pax Christi.
