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Being a Christian in the world can be difficult at times, as we encounter numerous temptations throughout the day.
While prayer is one of the most effective methods to combat these temptations, another method is to continually look to the saints.
Cling to the saints
St. Clement of Rome, who was ordained by St. Peter the Apostle and died a martyr's death in the 1st century, wrote a letter to the Corinthians and encouraged them in the faith:
The command has been written: Cling to the saints, for those who cling to them will be sanctified. There is a passage in Scripture as well which states: With the innocent man you will be innocent, and with the chosen one you will be chosen also; likewise with the perverse you will deal perversely. Devote yourselves, then, to the innocent and the just; they are God’s chosen ones.
He believed that the closer we tried to imitate those who have gone before us in faith, the closer we would be to God.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church offers a similar reflection:
Communion with the saints. "It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself."
The saints provide for us beacons of light in our daily lives, encouraging us forward and showing us that it is possible to lead a virtuous life.
