An unexpected gift

In these writings, I have concentrated on how we who are still on earth are called to intercede in order to hasten the spiritual revolution that the Father desires so urgently. I hope I have not seemed to give the impression of underrated the great army of saints and angels who intercede with Christ for us in heaven. Let me tell you what I experienced when I went to Rome in late October 2024.

I wanted to pray at the tombs of St. Peter and St Paul. On our first visit to St Peter’s Basilica, it was swamped with tourists and I found it impossible to pray. But another day, after an early Mass, while the basilica was quiet, I prayed near to Peter’s tomb. St Paul’s basilica was more tranquil. I was not sure what I wanted to pray about, except to find God’s will with their help, and to pray for the Church.

What I often find in prayer is that God tugs us quietly on to a particular path, and, as we stay on it, it develops a life of its own, and what God is saying to us becomes more clear. In Rome, that happened, I found myself standing at the tombs of great saints that I have known for ages, and becoming aware that they were closer than I had thought.

I hadn’t realised that they had grown distant as my life progressed - it just happened. Now I was increasingly struck by their closeness. I could talk to them and knew they were listening hard. I did not hear them speak, but I knew strongly that they were supporting me in my prayer and work.

St Josaphat

One of them is St Josaphat. His body is in a glass tomb in St Peter’s. He was a bishop of the Ukranian rite Catholic Church of Ukraine, who at the age of 43 was martyred in 1643 at a time of conflict between the Catholics and the Orthodox, a split that still bedevils Ukraine today. What was wonderful about him was that he was a dedicated worker for reconciliation when few people wanted to hear that message. He was willing to go wherever he thought there might be an opening, no matter what personal danger threatened. Eventually he was ambushed and hacked to death with an axe. I have always had a great admiration for him. Our relationship was relit.

St Clare

In Assisi, which we also visited, everything speaks of that extraordinary man St Francis. Over the years, he has constantly filled my imagination and taught me so much, but it was St Clare who came close when I visited her basilica. Her quiet femininity, ardent love of God and of the Church, and sheer closeness at that moment was awesome. I know she is my supporter and friend. Also, I felt a longing to become acquainted with other less spectacular followers of St Francis. They weren’t comets streaking across the skies like Francis did, but walked the path of increasing love of God, and they transformed many other people through prayer and love.

I could go on, but what I am describing is the renewed awareness which captured my mind and heart of how the Saints are very close and surround us as a vast army of protectors and friends. Truly, St Paul’s words powerfully describe this real-life phenomenon: “We are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12; 1), and “What you have come to is Mount Zion and the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem…with the whole Church in which everyone is a "first-born son" and a citizen of heaven.” (Hebrews 12: 22).

They are close here and now

I had forgotten how close the saints really are, and how they are truly part of my life as I am of theirs. Maybe I had to make the jump from thinking of them as part of history to knowing them in the present day. I have always been fascinated by history, and it has been so helpful in understanding the present, but maybe I have concentrated on the circumstances of their lives, which has made them seem remote; now I experience them as part of my life, my close kin. They are not always close, but it is like having frequent or occasional visits and calls from my family.

And their lives are so relevant today!

Take St Clare. She founded the Poor Clares, an order of enclosed nuns who seek to live in poverty and community. Some might say that she was a product of her age, and that they ended up enclosed, because they lived in a society which confined women to the home and restricted them more than men. But I believe that did not happen just because of the arrogance of men, but also because society wisely sought to restrict the number of unintended pregnancies and one parent families, which frequently disadvantages children and wreaks all sorts of havoc in society.

Remarkably, Clare boldly stepped out of the template of the Church of her time which placed enormous emphasis on providing security for congregations of nuns. She embraced radical poverty as a means to totally depend on God, and gathered women into communities of love.

She is not a model for the modern alfa-females who achieve high status by asserting equality with men, and obscure the true feminism of the vast majority of women, who place greater value on family-building than on status seeking. They undermine the feminine by promoting distorted aspirations for women which leads to a vast increase of single women labouring to balance child care and work, work that is usually long, poorly paid and unfulfilling. This results in more and more unhappy mothers and more mental sickness in children.

The Church will not accept these distorted notions and seeks to always find the middle way, which is unpopular with those who view personal autonomy as paramount. Eventually the firmness of Church understanding of real feminism will help the pendulum swing towards a healthier society. If we let St Clare and other women saints speak to us, we will find enormous greatness that will help radically liberate the people of today. They are so near so beautiful and so eloquent.

What vast riches are at our disposal in the economy of God! Our Father has made the whole of humanity to ache for him and for peace and unity on earth, and he so longs for union with us, and to restore communion among his children. “Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven”.