I absolutely love reading the stories of the Saints. Their lives and adventures are breathtaking. Sometimes even unbelievable. They traveled the world, went to great lengths to serve the poor, dedicated their lives to foreign missions, performed miracles, and climbed mountains (just to name a few).
But when I read these incredible stories of the Saints’ great lives, I often end up thinking to myself, “I could never have those kind of saintly adventures. I don’t have the time, the money, or the means to take a break from my responsibilities to travel or try something new.”
Ways to Find Daily Adventure with the Saints
Those obstacles might be a reality for many of us. But when we look at the habits and examples of these five Saints, we can find daily adventures that help draw us closer to the Heart of Jesus.
Bl. Pier Giorgio Frassati
This young saint desired to attend Mass every single day and went to great lengths to make it happen. He didn’t want to wake his family when he left for Mass so early in the morning. So he tied a string to his hand and ran the other end out his window so their housekeeper could pull the string at 4 a.m. when he needed to wake up and sneak away for Mass. The nearest Catholic Church to his home in the mountains was 8 miles uphill. He hiked it every morning so he could make it to Mass before his daily activities. What zeal for the Eucharist!
Our Daily Adventure
Try to carve out an hour this week to attend a daily Mass. There’s extra adventure and joy if you bring someone along: your kids, your husband, a coworker, a friend you haven’t seen in awhile. Pier Giorgio always said, “Verso l’alto!” which means, “To the heights!” How fitting that the Mass is the source and summit of our Faith!
Bl. Chiara Luce Badano
In 2010, this Italian teenager became the first member of Generation X to be beatified. Chiara was outgoing, smart, athletic, and so adventurous that she dreamed of becoming a flight attendant. Something I love about her (and relate to) is that she loved to hang out in coffee shops to read, write, and spend time with her friends.
Our Daily Adventure
Like Chiara, take some time this week to find a new coffee shop or bakery you’ve never visited. Branch out. Go to a different part of town. You could bring your Bible along for some lectio divina amid the glorious smell of coffee beans. Or meet up with a friend for a long-overdue coffee date.
Pope St. John Paul II
John Paul II is arguably the most adventurous Saint I know. He camped, acted in plays, played soccer, traveled, and skied from his youth even through his years as a Cardinal. During his papacy, he traveled the distance of earth to the moon three times! The one thing he did more than travel was write. He wrote works of fiction, poetry, exhortations, letters, homilies, and more. If you totaled up everything that John Paul II wrote, it would equal more than 20 Bibles (he averaged 3,000 pages per year during his time as pope).
Our Daily Adventure
Follow John Paul II’s example, and spend some time writing. There are infinite adventures to be found through writing. Try composing a fictional story, a thank you letter to someone who has impacted you, or a prayer of thanksgiving for how God is working in your life this week. Our words, too, can make a difference, inspire others, and be an adventure.
St. Bernard of Bontjoux
This Saint was a priest of Northwest Italy, known to many as the “Trail Angel of the Alps.” He founded a ministry and built a hospice in this dangerous mountain range. St. Bernard is the patron Saint of backpackers because dedicated himself to the service of those two traveled and hiked the Alps. He and his fellow missionaries saved lives of travelers by offering them food, clothing, and shelter.
Our Daily Adventure
Just as St. Bernard dedicated his life to helping travelers succeed at hiking the Alps, we can assist someone we love in accomplishing one of their dreams or goals. It’s an incredible thing to check an item off of our own bucket list, but it’s even more special to help someone we love accomplish one of theirs. Provide resources, make time, or go along with a family member or friend to help them turn a dream into reality.
Thérèse of Lisieux
The Little Flower is well-known for her motto: “What matters in life is not great deeds but great love.” The way she always put others before herself and the simple way she prayed shows us that we can do ordinary things with extraordinary love.
Our Daily Adventure
Plant small reminders of your love for those you care about. Think of it like a scavenger hunt! Write a cute note on the back of your kids’ shampoo bottle, find an old picture of you and your best friend and snail mail it to her, fold your husband’s laundry, or leave a flower on your coworker’s desk so she finds it the next morning. No matter how small our little adventurous gestures are, it’s the immense love we put into them that counts.
Have you tried any of these adventures? How did they go? What daily adventures can you draw from the lives of other Saints?
5 Ways to Find Daily Adventure with the Saints #BISblog //Click to tweet
Jordan Schmitz is a wife, youth minister, social media manager, creator of Defy Designs, and Kansas native (she does believe there’s no place like home, but doesn’t own any ruby slippers). She fell in love with Jesus, adventure catechesis, and her future husband at Camp Tekakwitha. You’ll most likely find her Bible journaling and drinking an iced vanilla latte in her hammock.
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