Faith and friendship: Why saints come in groups

When we look at the lives of the saints, a surprising pattern emerges. Most saints didn’t become holy alone.

Look closely at their stories, and you start to notice they almost always had someone walking alongside them. Someone who was challenging them, praying for them, and encouraging them to keep their eyes fixed on heaven. 

St. John of the Cross had St. Teresa of Avila. St. Clare had St. Francis. St. Basil had St. Gregory. St. Augustine had St. Monica. And so it goes. History has many more examples of these saints who came in pairs or groups.

Their stories reveal how holiness thrives in community. God intended his people to be united as one Body of Christ, and these saints show us that most people are not meant to walk the path of holiness alone.

What exactly was going on in these incredible saintly friendships? While we can’t know all the ins and outs, we can notice certain consistent themes.

These saints prayed for each other. These saints were an example to each other, imitating the forgiveness and mercy of Christ himself. And these saints benefited from the close friendship and love that grew up between them. Their love reflected to each other a little of the love that God has for each of us.

The Bible tells us that “Iron is sharpened by iron; one person sharpens another” (Proverbs 27:17). These saints remind us that being around other people of genuine faith can strengthen our faith. And our efforts to live in a Christlike way hopefully encourage the people around us too.

Thinking about how saints so often came in bunches reminds me to invest time and effort into good friendships and community. I will always be grateful for amazing friends who are an inspiration and example to me. 

There’s the friend who asked me to join her at daily Mass. 

The friend who invited me to join her family to pray the Rosary before a potluck dinner. 

The friend who gently nudged me out of my comfort zone to volunteer my time in service alongside her. 

The friend who says “I’m praying for you” and really means it. 

And the friend who encouraged me to go to Our Lord in Eucharistic Adoration when I’m struggling. 

Each of these good friends has been a huge help and support on my walk with Christ.

Who lights up our faith and encourages us to aim higher? Which friends encourage us on our walk with Christ? Let’s tell them how much we appreciate them, and hopefully we can be this kind of friend, too.