Saints Are Not Sad

Rejoice Always · #1 Jun 10, '12, 8:43 am

Short Biographies of Joyful Saints. Great book compiled by the wonderful Frank Sheed. I've really enjoyed reading it, even moreso than my beloved Butler's Lives of the Saints and the Golden Legend.

http://www.ignatius.com/Products/STN...e-not-sad.aspx

"The only tragedy is not to be a saint", wrote the French novelist Léon Bloy. And St. Francis de Sales said that "A sad saint would be a sorry saint." But what is a saint? One way to answer is to analyze sanctity, theologically and psychologically. Another way, which is the path Frank Sheed chose in creating this volume, is to show you a saint-or rather, since no two saints are alike-to show you a number of saints. In this book, you are shown forty saints.

The saints Sheed chose for this collection are from various time periods: six before A.D. 500, seventeen from then to the Reformation, and seventeen from the Reformation to the middle of the twentieth century. Many are well known, like St. Anthony, Francis, Augustine, Patrick and Bernadette, while others are lesser known, for example, Columcille and Malachy.

The same can be said for the various authors of these short biographies. Among them are the famous like Hilaire Belloc, Alban Goodier and G.K. Chesterton, as well as priests and laymen whose names may no longer be familiar but whose writing still brings to life men and women whose closeness to God gave them purpose, strength, and yes, joy.

Has anyone else read it, or have similar suggestions for books like it?

I think CAF needs more joy. It's too sour & dour around here.

SecretaryMonday · #2 Jun 10, '12, 9:34 am

I'm probably halfway through this book. I agree, it is a good read.

MidnightSun12 · #3 Jun 10, '12, 11:24 am

I absolutely agree. I think while saints do carry their crosses and deny that which is pleasurable in this world, they generally are incredibly joyful and happy people.

We all need to remember that the world brings us down. The more that we attach ourselves to the things in this world, the less joyful we are going to be as people. I also believe that whether a person is joyful in this life is a great indication of what their next life is going to be like

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