Growing up Catholic, to become an adult in the church one must go through the sacrament of confirmation. This is when most Catholic youths research a Saint. I picked Saint Joan of Arc. She was the badass of all female saints – a pig farmer’s daughter, age 14, and led her country to battle. She had not one saint visit her, she had four. But now that I am older I don’t relate as much to her. I still have her fiery side of a soldier, but I have had to learn to pick and choose my battles. I wonder how the great Joan would have handled war if she had rent and bills to pay. I wasn’t burned at the stake for my life choices and now I have other issues to deal with.
Patron saints are beloved to Catholics. St. Nicholas is the patron saint of newlyweds; St. Lawrence is the patron saint of chefs. I joke that St. Gertrude of Nivelles, the patron saint of cats and those who are afraid of mice, should be my new patron saint, or St. Rita the patron of impossible cases.
Still, I love the concept of these saints and what they represent. Catholic art is treasured to me. It is part of my youth, culture, and tradition. No doubt that you have seen some of these candles. By now they have become part of pop culture.
There are candles on sale through Etsy.com and on Superstarcandles.com. You can find images of David Bowie, Beetlejuice, Cindy Lauper, and all members of The Golden Girls. Friends have given me many catholic gifts that some may consider sacrilege but I don’t care. Imitation is the highest form of flattery.
2016 has been a difficult year. Not just for me, but for a lot of people. We have lost so many celebrities who have only brought hope and love to our society; Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds are just two of the many to shape my Generation X life. To describe my 2016 in one word it would be patronizing. However, this year has also had many silver linings. I became part of the Jade Umbrella team who I love, I actually have been exercising regularly and am in the best health of my adult life, and my husband and I fall deeper in love with each other no matter how hard life has been.
America has gone through its own ups and downs. No matter where you fall on politics, most Americans agree that we need more jobs, more peace, and safety for all. So For 2017, I am picking our confirmation saints for the year; to help us with a positive attitude and set the tone for the coming New Year.
St. Veronica was not on my 17-year-old radar when I made my confirmation. She is not mentioned in the Bible although being alive at the time. She is a saint for just wiping the face of Jesus. An act that did not seem that significant to me when I went through my own confirmation. Now, I find her to be the most unpretentious saint providing the greatest act of compassion. This is how we need to treat our country – with compassion! St. Veronica did not change the fate of Jesus and we cannot change the fate of anyone, but we can be there with a box of Kleenex and box of wine and simply wipe away tears of anyone suffering. Our coworkers, neighbors, and perfect strangers – all need your compassion as we ring in the New Year. Channel your inner saint in 2017 and let’s make great things happen!
Thank you for reading,
La Vida Verde
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