Five Extraordinary Holy Women to Get You Through Ordinary Time
So, after the excitement of Easter and the power of Pentecost, we come to the main part of the Church’s calendar: Ordinary Time. It’s about as exciting as it sounds. Except for a few big feast days sprinkled here and there, Ordinary Time is just ordinary. But that doesn’t mean it’s unimportant. Ordinary time is when we can live our lives in the spirit of the resurrection and Pentecost, and we can see God in the everyday. Here’s a handful of very holy ladies to help us through the ordinary times of our lives.
For Sisterhood…
Saint Elizabeth is incredible. While I was a teamie in 2017 and 2018 I looked to her as a powerful example of sisterhood. One thing that I find most inspirational about St Elizabeth is that she rejoices in her cousin Mary’s victories (aka the conception of Jesus), and affirms and supports her instead of being jealous and undermining her. This is something I struggle with on the daily, but I know that instead of falling prey to envy, God wants me to share in the happiness of those around me, and to revel in the glory that he reveals through them.
For your Family…
St Therese of Lisieux is famous for a lot of things. One of the reasons why I really like her is that she came from a big family where things weren’t always perfect. Family relationships can be hard. Like, really hard. But they’re super important, so St Therese gives us an example of how prayer, perseverance and humility can bring so much peace and joy to the relationships we have with the people we spend the most time with.
For your Study…
Study is hard. For real. Good thing this is pretty universal because it means there a bunch of Saints to call on if we need. St Elizabeth Ann Seton is a great one for us ladies – she established the first catholic girls schools in the US. As a mother and a teacher, she understood the difficulties of learning, but also knew the great opportunities and rewards that come with an education. And look, if things are getting really bad, you can always turn to Saint Rita or Saint Philomena, they’re both on the list of Patron Saints for Lost Causes. Here’s a quick students prayer to help get you through this stage of life.
For your Daily Prayer Life…
St Teresa of Calcutta is an amazing twentieth century woman who is the perfect companion if you are struggling in your daily prayer life. It is pretty well known that Mother Teresa’s prayer life was as dry as a desert, but despite this she persisted because she understood that daily prayer is about discipline, obedience and most importantly building a relationship with God.
If you’re feeling a little bit like Mother Teresa, have a good rant/cry/pray/sing to these songs inspired by her journey – Firelight by Matt Mahar and Teresea by Audrey Assad. Take your time and when you’re done, head over to the Blessed is She Blog and check out this post about daily Jesus dates.
The best thing about saints is that because they’re already in heaven, they have nothing better to do than to pray for us and help us with our life here on earth. They remind us that as Catholics, we’re part of a community has been growing for thousands of years, and that there is no struggle that is beyond God’s help.
If you liked Brigid’s article on Holy Women and want more, check out this blog written by Sebastian Vorster for some extra Saint content!
Brigid Cooney is a 21-year-old Canberra local who love hot chocolates, knitting and all things cosy. After serving on YMT Wollongong in 2017 and YMT Sydney in 2018, she is studying to be a high school teacher and is working for ACU Campus Ministry. When she’s not at uni, Brigid can be found cuddling her nieces Nuala and Rosie, or watching Derry Girls.