[Saint Paul] went to visit them and, because he practiced the same trade, stayed with them and worked, for they were tentmakers by trade. // Acts 18:3
Have you learned a trade? Do you have a particular skill set, knowledge, or ability that has taken years to perfect? What has it taken to hone your craft? Who have you encountered along the way? Can you imagine the conversations Saint Paul must have had with other tentmakers in Corinth? They shared daily life together and hopefully grew in friendship. Saint Paul’s trade gave him access to a very particular group of people who could learn from the witness of his life.
God has placed you in a particular family, in a specific place, in this exact moment in history. He has designed your personality, strengths, and weaknesses and will provide you with the grace to grow in holiness right here and now. God has put you in the place where He wants you to become a Saint.
Today we celebrate the Memorial of Saint Philip Neri, a joyful priest who is known as the “third apostle to Rome” after Saints Peter and Paul. There was great upheaval and unrest after the Sack of Rome in 1527; Saint Philip Neri surrendered his desire to be a missionary to India and followed a call to stay closer to home.
If you make a pilgrimage to Rome, I hope you can pray at the tomb of Saint Philip Neri and visit his private rooms at the Chiesa Nuova Church. It is one of my favorite places in Rome. Some of the most memorable artifacts displayed in the extensive collection are the written correspondences with his friends, Saint Ignatius of Loyola, Saint Francis Xavier, Saint Charles Borremeo, Saint Teresa of Avila, and Saint John of the Cross. Isn’t it amazing to think about the friendships that Philip had with Ignatius, Charles, Teresa, and John? I wonder how they encouraged each other in sanctity.
Holiness begets holiness! In 1622, Saint Philip Neri, Saint Teresa of Avila, Saint Ignatius Loyola, Saint Francis Xavier, and Saint Isidore were all canonized together on the same day. It was the first canonization of multiple holy people on the same day. They practiced the same trade: the art of becoming a Saint.
Who is helping you grow? Who is witnessing to you? Consider your friendships today.
God has put you in the place where He wants you to become a Saint. // Rose ColemanClick to tweet
Rose Coleman is an elementary school teacher with a heart for pilgrimage. She traveled the globe on a ship during college and spent some years in the convent as a religious sister. She was a contributing author to All She Had, Blessed Conversations: Rooted, and our children’s devotional prayer book called Rise Up. Find out more about her here.
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