The Saints in Heaven

I remember at an Ecumenical Meeting a Protestant lady speaking about her husband. She missed him so much and wished she could tell him. But of course in heaven everyone is happy so they would not be allowed to know what is happening on earth. This complete cut off from heaven was knew to me. The idea that he would be unhappy if he saw her unhappy is understandable from a human point of view but in heaven as I told her they have the complete story. When your child falls and cuts his knee and cries you do not cry with him for you know it will soon be better. She is but a child to her husband. Yet it is a mystery to human intelligence. Yet I would not be happy in heaven from a human point of view if I did not also know what was happening on earth. "There is greater joy in heaven over one sinner who does penance" Jesus said "than over ninety nine others who need not penance." So the angels and saints do know what is happening. And if they know what is happening surely they can also pray for us and ask favours for us in Heaven just as they did on earth. It is quite simple really. Most doctrines of the Catholic Church are quite simple if we open our minds a little. The saints are our great heroes and heroines. If I may venture into the mucky field of `feminist history` I would point out that lay people make no distinction between male and females saints. Lay people are seen as equal in holiness. The greatest saints of the Church are women and this has been so from the very beginning. St Cecilia, St Agatha, St Lucy were early martyrs and for nearly two thousand years their intercession has been sought. Many women did extraordinary service to the Church during their lives. St Catherine of Sienna bullied a Pope to take up residence in Rome again. She like St Teresa of Avila, St Therese of Lisieux, Mother Teresa, and hundreds of others did not spend their days bewailing they could not have the `power` of a preist but got on with loving service. Mother Teresa of Calcutta will soon be a saint and we can judge her from what we have known and experienced. St Maximillian Kolbe stepped forward in a concentration camp to take the place of a married man facing a firing squad. The story of little St Maria Goretti and her forgiveness on her death bed for the boy who raped her. St Damien among the lepers, The priests in Canada martyred by the Hurons. These are all our heroes and heroines. They are real people who faced real difficulties but overcame them to give themselves to God. I cannot understand the nonsense in Catholic Schools where the saints are seldom mentioned and the claim they were beyond the notions of children. Complete baloney. There is a saint somewhere in heaven praying for each one of us. Find a saint who will inspire you to give your life to God and His Church.