I am enough of a doofus that I missed celebrating my own saint's day this year. These things haven't exactly come naturally to me, I admit.

Even if I am a day late now, I thought I'd point you What Does the Prayer Really Say's post about St. Gianna.

When we were studying Catholicism and I was searching through books of saints trying to figure out who I might possibly feel some sort of connection to, I found myself at a loss. Some of the saints of long ago just felt too distant and too impossibly perfect. I wanted to be like them, but couldn't imagine it either. I read up on mothers like St. Monica and St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. I loved their stories, but I didn't think they were my saints either. Then one day I ran across a mention of St. Gianna's Maternity Home for Crisis Pregnancies. When I looked up St. Gianna, I knew almost immediately that she would be my confirmation saint. She still was "too perfect." I couldn't imagine her bravery being mine nor her work, devotion and prayer being things I could possibly emulate, but I was inspired and brought to tears by her story and by stories like the one above.

As we all seek to grow in holiness and attain a life with God, I continue to be inspired by many saints, especially St. Gianna.