Theology and Saints

Personally, I love reading autobiographies of saints or stories about them. The life of St. Benedict was the first one that I read while I was still a member of the Anglican Church. Later, I have read more and more saints’ stories, because through them, I could gain many spiritual benefits. Some have inspired me a lot by changing my perspective and life.

The most remarkable example of all the changes is my conversion to the Roman Catholic Church. This should be attributed to St. Therese of Lisieux. She has become one of my favorite saints. Of course, St. Francis of Assisi is also included, and that is why I have chosen him as my patron saint.

Gradually, mere descriptions about saints do not satisfy me any more. Their own writings, including their diaries and letters, become the main subjects that I would go after. I have started to be interested in the saints' own writing because it shows me their true personalities and their relationship with God. Indeed, their thoughts or ideas about God, and how they have achieved intimacy with God, are the most attractive element for me. Moreover, such writings were written by the saints themselves, so they must be a true reflection of who they really are. Yes, I’d like to know about the saints from their own words, and not through someone else's accounts about them.

As I read more and more about the saints, such as Sts. Francis of Assisi and Therese of Lisieux, their knowledge about God surprises me. I just wonder how they have such ideas about God which is so ‘correct’, even though they have never been "educated in theology" per se. Look, St. Therese, a nun who died when she was only 24, was even declared to be a Doctor of the Church. Her thoughts about God and her doctrine about the way to God are so profound. I’m so amazed! Perhaps, the reason why that they were so gifted is because they are saintly. They have spent a lot of time to communicate, to pray, to meditate, and to contemplate God. So, their lives have become their own prayers that are totally immersed in Divinity.

Maybe, saints have intuitive knowledge of God because they are intimate with their Lord who always reveals Himself to His beloved. As a result, although they do not have any theological training, they can know God well. Perhaps, the most important thing for saints is not even the knowledge about God, but the relationship with Him. Any knowledge about God is a result of their deep relationship with Him.