Dear John,
When I was younger, I often felt like I didn't belong. This is probably normal for many young people—some may even call it a rite of passage. Thankfully, for me, this feeling didn't cause me to lean into negative experiences because I had a dynamic faith life. Ironically, I realized in college that I was different because of this dynamic faith life and the community I came from. I thank God for that.
As I read Melanie Rigney's new book, Radical Saints, I learned that St. Mariam Thresia was not so fortunate. Her life was full of despair and loneliness. She lost her mother at the age of 12 and her father slipped into alcoholism. As a teenager, she felt like such an outcast that she dreamt of living alone in the wilderness. She consecrated herself to Jesus but was refused spiritual direction, joined and left a Carmelite community, and was denied approval to work with the poor from a bishop. If that isn't enough, for three years she was tormented by demons, which required two exorcisms. But she persevered.
Today is St. Mariam's feast day. At her beatification in 2000, Pope John Paul II said, “Sister Mariam Thresia’s willingness to embrace the Cross of Christ enabled her to remain steadfast in the face of frequent misunderstandings and severe spiritual trials.”
Her perseverance and love for God blows me away. Learn more about her and how she became a saint in Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century.
Peace and goodness,
Patty Crawford
Director of Marketing, Products
Franciscan Media
