When I was growing up, my grandmother was always referred to as “Saint Ag.” For me, that meant that my grandmother was loving, thought of others before herself and loved her faith immensely. She could do no wrong! I’m sure she did plenty wrong, but the notion that Ag was so closely connected in a special way to God made me feel good just the same.
My grandmother died when I was only 13, but her legacy still lives on in our family. From memories and stories past, I think of her slowly walking the three block trek to daily Mass, the letters she painstakingly typed to me on the old typewriter, the chocolate cakes that awaited for my family when we visited her on the eastern shore, the hours she sat watching my horse shows, her rosary beads, and the way she made me feel each and every time I saw her.
Grandmother Ag was and is a Saint in my book. Maybe she won’t be canonized by the Catholic Church for being a martyr or for performing a miracle, but she was definitely a person through whom God worked and touched lives. She was what we could call a “dry martyr,” someone who made daily sacrifices to be Christ for others. Whether it was tending to her husband and three sons, her community or her Church, St. Ag could be counted on to be present to others. Her unique call from God was her gentle and nurturing nature. Her unselfish demeanor and way could easily be detected in her hugs, her words, her attentive ear, her prayers and her devotion to her faith.
Like all the Communion of Saints, we are called to live lives worthy of being called followers of Christ. Whether in heaven, in purgatory or on earth, we have the examples of saintly people who demonstrate holiness and graced-filled lives. Their walks with Christ, mind you, were not and are not always easy but always rewarding as they ultimately guarantee eternal life with God.
Let us look to those saints who are reminders that God calls each of us in our own way and that we should all be attentive to God’s voice in our own lives. This week, as we remember the Saints before us, the Saints among us, and the Saints of the future, may we be thankful for God’s voice in their lives, their sacrifices, their example, and their faithfulness to Christ. For my grandmother “Saint Ag,” I truly am.
Kaky