| In commemoration of All Saints Day on
November 1, we look at the new book
Saints of the Jubilee
by author Tim Drake. CatholicMom.com took some time this week with Tim
Drake to reflect on the role of Saints in our lives. We heartily
recommend
Saints of the Jubilee
and congratulate Tim and his family on the addition of their latest arrival,
Peter Timothy.
Catholic
Mom: Why is it important that Catholic parents learn
about and teach their children about the Saints?
Tim Drake:
The reason Catholic parents should share stories of
the saints with their children is simple. What is our goal as Catholic
parents? It is to lead our children toward Heaven. Therefore, what better
way to set children on this path than by reading them stories about those
who have gone before?
I grew up Lutheran, and therefore, was in many respects "saintless." During
my conversion I realized what a treasure are the Saints of the Church. They
are that "Cloud of Witnesses" that have gone before us. They are not dead,
but alive in Christ, and we can depend upon them for prayers and
intercession if we but only ask.
The wonderful thing about saints stories is that there are saints and
blesseds sure to interest almost anyone. Someone looking for a boy saint
might be interested by the example of Dominic Savio. Someone interested in a
wonderful girl saint might enjoy the story of Maria Goretti. A teenage boy
might be inspired by the story of the mountain climbing Blessed Pier Giorgio
Frassati. And the list goes on, with new saints and blesseds being added
each year. My recent book,
Saints of the Jubilee,
looks at 164 saints added during the Jubilee Year 2000, and of course, this
year St. Padre Pio, St. Juan Diego, and St. Josemaria Escriva have been
added.
Catholic Mom:
Who is your favorite Saint?
Tim Drake:
Do I have to pick only one? I have so many.
Perhaps my favorite is the foster father of Jesus, Saint Joseph. As a
teenager, I found a beautiful prayer card of St. Joseph sitting on my best
friend's bedroom dresser. The artwork, and the prayer, on the card were both
beautiful. I told my friend this and he gave me the card to keep. It remains
on my desk today, always by my side should I need it.
It's been said by many that just as Christ would have been subject to his
earthly father on earth, so he also is attentive to Joseph's requests in
Heaven. I joined the Catholic Church on the Feast of Saint Joseph, March 19,
1995.
Catholic Mom: What words of wisdom
would you offer Catholic Moms on raising their children to cherish
"holiness" in today's society?
Tim Drake:
Catholic moms, AND dads, need to lead by example - attending Mass, family
prayer (most especially the family Rosary), frequent reception of the
sacraments (Confession and the Eucharist), and observing appropriate holy
days. There is much that a child can learn by seeing his or her mother and
father on their knees in prayer. They learn that they are subject to their
parents just as their parents are subject to a higher authority, God.
About The Book
Amidst the recent canonizations of Padre Pio and Juan Diego, and the
upcoming October 6, 2002 canonization of Josemaria Escriva, Tim Drake’s
timely new book,
Saints of the Jubilee,
includes the stories of more than 150 saints that were either beatified or
canonized during the Jubilee Year 2000. The 124-page book features a number
of men and women, religious and lay people, children and adults, from nearly
every continent on the globe. Among them are familiar stories, such as those
of the Fatima visionaries Francisco and Jacinta Marto, Saint Faustina
Kowalska, and American Saint Katharine Drexel, as well as less familiar
stories such as the 120 Chinese martyrs, 25 Mexican martyrs and the Sisters
of Nowogrodek.
About The Author
Drake is the author of the bestseller, There We Stood, Here We Stand: Eleven Lutherans Rediscover their Catholic Roots.
That book chronicled the conversion stories of 11 former Lutherans to the
Catholic faith. That book was awarded 1st Book Library’s
Bestseller Award. As well, Drake serves as executive editor of
Catholic.net and
features correspondent with the National Catholic Register. He has
published more than 350 articles in publications such as Our Sunday
Visitor, Columbia Magazine, Catholic World Report, and
Envoy Magazine.
When you order a book from Amazon
by clicking on the title here at Catholic Mom, we earn a
small commission on your purchase. Our commission enables
CatholicMom.com to continue to grow and reach out to Catholic parents.
|