Ah, January! The tree is still up, but I’m clearing out Christmas clutter and starting to crave clean, open spaces. Quiet mornings and simple evenings will be a refreshing change from the hustle and bustle of Advent, Christmas, and New Year’s. As much as I love the holidays, there is simple beauty in the gift of ordinary time.
In fact, many great saints grew in holiness through embracing the “ordinary” and living out quiet lives of faithfulness in small ways. St. André Bessette, born the eighth of twelve children to a French Canadian couple in Montreal in 1845, is one of my favorite examples.
André suffered poor health from birth and was orphaned by the age of 12. He went on to try his luck at a number of occupations, without success.
But André always had a strong Catholic faith, and he eventually found his way to the Congregation of Holy Cross. After a year-long novitiate, his application was declined because of his poor health. The Bishop intervened for him, though, and he was finally accepted. His first assignment was the humble role of “doorkeeper” at Notre Dame College in Montreal.
In his simple life of work and prayer, André had a special devotion to St. Joseph and would pray for his intercession to heal those who were sick. Stories of miraculous healings began to spread, and soon many visitors would come to see the humble doorkeeper and ask for his prayers and St. Joseph’s intercession.
André was puzzled by the attention he received and always gave credit for the healings to St. Joseph. Desiring to honor St. Joseph in an extravagant way, he earned extra money by giving 5-cent haircuts until he had saved up $200—enough to purchase a plot of land across the street from the college and build a shrine to St. Joseph.
More than 50 years later, that small shrine grew to the stunning St. Joseph’s Oratory of Mount Royal that receives more than 2 million pilgrims each year. St. André’s small, quiet, “ordinary” devotion to St. Joseph, and his healing ministry, has left an indelible mark on the faithful, drawing countless individuals to a deeper relationship with God.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton is another saint whose life is an inspiring example of quiet devotion and steadfast faith, even in the face of sometimes extraordinary hardship. Born in New York in 1774, she faced the loss of her husband at an early age, leaving her a widow with five children. In the face of adversity, she turned to Catholicism, finding strength in her newfound faith.
St. André Bessette, eventually known as the “Miracle Man of Montreal,” and Mother Seton, the founder of the Sisters of Charity and the first American-born saint, shared humble beginnings marked by personal hardship. Both experienced the sting of poverty, loss, and societal prejudice, yet emerged from their trials with a profound faith that would shape the course of their lives.
Each in their own simple way, St. André and St. Elizabeth Ann inspire us with their dedication to God, simple commitment to helping others, and the transformative impact they had on their communities. Their ordinary lives of holiness and humble service led to extraordinary blessings for others.
There was nothing flashy or showy about André. He remained faithful in his humble service as a doorkeeper and spent nights on his knees in prayer for the sick and the poor who asked for his help.
Elizabeth’s life of poverty, illness, and struggle wasn’t glamorous either. In the face of hardship, she faithfully focused on the needs of others. She cared for her ailing husband and children. She founded a school to educate poor girls and help them escape a life on the streets, a simple act of charity that helped inspire the Catholic school system in the United States.
With God, ordinary lives can achieve extraordinary things. I try to keep that in mind these days as I face the everyday challenges of my vocation.
In the post-Christmas hush, the world urges us to move on to the next noisy and exciting events–like the Super Bowl and Valentine’s Day–but I’m making a commitment to ordinary life and quiet faithfulness. Work trials, illness, and the cold dark days of winter can become obstacles on my path toward heaven or, if I embrace them, they can become the very ordinary means by which I can grow in holiness.
St. André Bessette and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton’s examples encourage me to focus on service to others. The lives of these two saints, each remarkable in its own right, converge in their shared commitment to serving God through the simple love and care of their fellow human beings. Thanks be to God for the extraordinary gift of their ordinary examples.
DANIELLE BEAN is a writer and popular speaker on Catholic family life, parenting, marriage, and the spirituality of motherhood. She is the former publisher and editor-in-chief of Catholic Digest, and the author of several books for women including Momnipotent, You’re Worth It! and her newest book, You Are Enough. She is also creator and host of the Girlfriends podcast. Learn more at DanielleBean.com.
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