A Challenge from the First Century

Clement of Rome, in his First Epistle to the Corinthians, recounts in some detail the saints and heroes of the Old Testament--he doesn't use that phrase "Old Testament"--for him these saints are relevant in his day. He ends with Daniel and the Three Young Men in the Fire, then writes:

Therefore we too, brothers, must follow examples such as these. For it is written: "Follow the saints, for those who follow them will be sanctified."

No source is cited for that quotation, and the footnotes say it is "unknown." He could have just as well cited St. Paul, who wrote to the Philippians (4:9), "What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, do; and the God of peace will be with you." It's a summons to emulate a saint.

So my question is: Who are you emulating? Who's your "saint" or godly example? And does it make a difference? And if you have none, why not?

Comments

[Michael D. Harmon]

Next to my bureau in my bedroom hang two icons: St. Michael the Archangel and St. Patrick of Ireland.

The first, so I can say the St. Michael Prayer; the second, so I can remember what courage can accomplish.

[Bill R]

How does one begin to pick any one saint? Well, one I've admired for years is George Mueller of Bristol, England, who, as a young, penniless man in the nineteenth century, emigrated to England from Germany. He established an orphanage in Bristol which he thereafter ran for the rest of his long life, never soliciting a penny from anyone, but always having just enough to provide everything that he, his family, and all of his orphans needed. His life-long motto was, "God Provides." And He did. Mueller's life is a wonderful counterpoint to our image of Dickensian England. There are still many orphanages throughout the world, even if abortion has shunted so many of them out of sight in 21st century America. Folks might be surprised to learn how many there are in, say, Mexico, which is only about 120 miles from my doorstep.

[GL]

Constance and her companions, the martyrs of Memphis.

Their feast day is September 9 and is observed by some American Anglicans. From a website dedicated to their memory:

In 1878 the American city of Memphis on the Mississippi River was struck by an epidemic of yellow fever, which so depopulated the area that the city lost its charter and was not reorganized for fourteen years. Almost everyone who could afford to do so left the city and fled to higher ground away from the river. (It was not yet known that the disease was mosquito-borne, but it was observed that high and dry areas were safe.) There were in the city several communities of nuns, Anglican or Roman Catholic, who had the opportunity of leaving, but chose to stay and nurse the sick. Most of them, thirty-eight in all, were themselves killed by the fever. One of the first to die (on 9 September 1878) was Constance, head of the (Anglican) Community of St Mary.

PRAYER (traditional language)

We give thee thanks and praise, O God of compassion, for the Heroic witness of Constance and her companions, who, in a time of plague and pestilence, were steadfast in their care for the sick and the dying, and loved not their own lives, even unto death. Inspire in us a like love and commitment to those in need, following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever.

[GL]

I should have included a link to an icon depicting Constance and her companions. See http://www.flickr.com/photos/stmarysmemphis/1339442724/

[Stuart Koehl]

There is a particular monk I know, just an ordinary fellow of no great distinction, save that for me, he epitomizes the meaning of Christian holiness.

[Bobby Neal Winters]

Robert E. Lee. He lost a war, but he wound up as a University President...

[Bob Mulle]

My exemplar is C. S. Lewis. While not a saint in the canonical sense, he is as saintly as anyone I could hope to emulate. His examples of holy living, thinking, speaking, teaching and, yes, fighting, are worthy of study. Charitable, chivalrous, courageous and humble to boot, I look forward to the day when I may meet him before the Throne.

[Sam]

My saintly examples are numerous, but the two biggest are St. Patrick (for all the reasons mentioned above), and Gregory the Great. As a minister, he set an example for godly ministry that is perpetually challenging and humbling. His pastoral heart is something I desperately want to emulate; thanks be to God that he put such a heart in such a man.

[Kamilla]

Dorothy L. Sayers because she did what I long to do and can only begin to approach - writing good detective novels and good theology. With divine assistance and the encouragement of many good men and women (some of whom post here and none of whom I deserve), I am reaching towards that goal.

St. Paul is also a model - the persecutor who became the evangelist seeking converts. As a former religious feminist and a woman who now embraces Patriarchy and sexual orthodoxy, I am convicted that I have an obligation to speak and write to that whenever I am given the opportunity.

Kamilla

[Stuart Koehl]

>>>Robert E. Lee. He lost a war, but he wound up as a University President...<<<

Don't get ideas, Bobby!

[Stuart Koehl]

>>.Dorothy L. Sayers because she did what I long to do and can only begin to approach - writing good detective novels and good theology.<<<

Of course, her personal life was a train wreck, and she did not even begin to come close to attaining the inner stillness and tranquility that should be the hallmark of Christian life. But some saints are meant for the rough and tumble side of the faith.

[Bobby Winters]

>>Don't get ideas, Bobby!<<

But I've already done the first part...

[Tamara]

St. Tamara of Georgia--because I assume that's what a patron saint is for--to give us a specific connection with at least one saint we can emulate, and because I really do connect with her on many levels.

[Stuart Koehl]

>>>St. Tamara of Georgia<<<

What about St. Nino?

[W.E.D. Godbold]

I'm intrigued by St. Joseph. I want to know more about what kind of man the Father picked to model Fatherhood for His Son.

[Kamilla]

Stuart,

I'd hardly call her life a train wreck - and she did deal honestly, deeply repenting, of her sins. For that and for the reasons I mentioned before - I take her as a role model.

Kamilla

[Stuart Koehl]

Don't feel you have to emulate all aspects of her life, though.

[Stuart Koehl]

>>>I'm intrigued by St. Joseph. I want to know more about what kind of man the Father picked to model Fatherhood for His Son.<<<

The apocryphal literature of the first and second centuries has many stories, whose veracity you can take or leave. The tradition of the Eastern Churches makes Joseph an older man, widowed, with several children already. He espouses Mary because Mary was dedicated to the Temple, but there was no way for a Jewish woman of that time to support herself without adult male supervision. So he agrees to marry her in order to help her preserve her virginity in the service of the Temple, which is one more reason why he is upset to find her with child. According to the tradition, Joseph and Mary never actually married, but remained betrothed (which was binding), until his death some time before Jesus began his ministry.

The word which the Gospels use to describe Joseph's vocation is "tekton", which is not a carpenter, but literally a builder, something like a general contractor. As such, he may not have been as impoverished as popular belief would have, but neither was he rich--the family was solidly blue collar, so to speak. Joseph probably got work in Sephoris, the capital of Galilee, which was being rebuilt by Herod Antipas (who later moved his capital to Tiberias). The site of Sephoris is visible from Nazareth and it is likely that Joseph took young Jesus with him on some of his jobs. Jesus certainly seems as familiar with urban as rural life, using terms such as "hypocrite" which was a technical theatric term.

[Kamilla]

Oh, I don't, Stuart. For one thing, I disagree with her on the matter of priestesses ;-)

Kamilla

[Michael Bauman]

John Milton:

After burying his first wife, his second wife, and his son; after losing his eyesight and his money; after being thrown into prison, and after the political project he had dedicated his adult life to came to nothing, rather than bombarding Heaven with "Why?" "Why?" "Why?, he sat down to write Paradise Lost, Paradise Regained, Samson Agonistes, a systematic theology, a Latin grammar, and a defense of religious freedom, all in unrelieved darkness.

Do try to imagine writing a systematic theology with more than 9,000 Bible quotations -- blind.

[Beth from TN]

St. Therese of Liseux, Mother Teresa -- and my own mother, who has demonstrated the way they lived to me every day of my life (without knowing of St. Therese's existence nor anything about Mother Teresa's "dark night of the soul," but just loving God above all).

If I could ever learn just to live for the Lord in the little things each day . . . and to do what I'm called to do "with a great big smile" . . .

[Bill R]

"John Milton"

My goodness! Can anyone recommend a good biography of Milton?

[revdave]

I'm reminded of these lyrics from Rich Mullins :

And did they tell You stories 'bout the saints of old?/Stories about their faith?/They say stories like that make a boy grow bold/ Stories like that make a man walk straight

I'm working through the time of the exile in my current sermon series. As I read the prophets, I'm amazed how often their calls are calls to courage and fortitude and endurance--and failure. Ezekiel is told to preach even though he's sitting on scorpions and surrounded by briars, and that God has made him even more hard headed than the people of Israel (a remarkable achievement.)

Makes this fairly new pastor want to get some of that hard headedness.

[Michael Bauman]

Bill R,
Try Barbara Lewalksi's The Life of John Milton: A Critical Biography,
Cheers,
MB

[Bill R]

Thank you, Dr. Bauman.

By the way, folks, click on Dr. Bauman's name to look at his website. One can understand how he appreciates "superachievers" such as John Milton! ;-)

[Nick]

I was rather fond of Solomon growing up. I thought he was a good example for me in both his waning and waxing years for opposing reasons.

Now I'm leaning more towards St. Peter.

[Nick]

I was rather fond of Solomon growing up. I thought he was a good example for me in both his waning and waxing years for opposing reasons.

Now I'm leaning more towards St. Peter.

[Stuart Koehl]

Peter is such an ordinary Joe that almost all of us can identify with him.

[Gina]

My patroness, St. Brigid of Kildare, with whom I share many things except her list of pious acts- being a dairyman's daughter, traveling to do evangelism, and a love for the arts and scholarship. It doesn't hurt that you celebrate her feast day with beer and buttered bread. :)

Secondly, Sts. Macrina the elder and the younger- tutors to the Cappadocian fathers. The Life of Macrina written by her brother, St. Gregory of Nyssa, is a statement on a good life and a good death.

[Nick]

That's what makes him so refreshing. He's also so forward, which I dare say several of us could identify with.

[Stuart Koehl]

Macrina the Elder was mother of Basil the Great and Gregory of Nyssa; Macrina the Younger was their sister, sometimes accounted the "Fourth Cappodocian" because of her wisdom, and the fact that she was tutor to her two esteemed brothers.

On the whole, though, that family drives me to distraction. Mother a saint, father a saint and a bishop; sister a saint. Two brothers accounted Fathers of the Church, saints and bishops. There was a third brother, but to the best of my knowledge, he was the black sheep, only rising to the rank of bishop and somehow or other avoiding canonization.

Confronting such spiritual overachievers is likely to do wonders for your sense of humility.

[Bill R]

"There was a third brother, but to the best of my knowledge, he was the black sheep, only rising to the rank of bishop and somehow or other avoiding canonization."

Making him only the, um, "Cappodocian Brother."

[diane]

St. Bernadette, St. Faustina, and (of course) Our Lady.

[Truth Unites... and Divides]

I wonder if our good Dr. Hutchens is emulating Athanasius?

Heh, heh.