SAINT OF THE DAY
WITH UNCLE EDDY
Navigating today’s world is tough and all of us could use a nudge in the right direction. Figuring out the right path to take at work, college, or in social situations is not always easy. Looking to the lives of the saints can give us the insights we need.
Written by Fr. John Bartunek, LC, Uncle Eddy’s Saint of the Day is a fictional series of letters written by a man who has been imprisoned for the Catholic Faith. Using the saints of the day as examples, Uncle Eddy pens a daily letter with spiritual advice to his many nieces and nephews.
St Albert the Great
Dear Alice, I do so hope you are able to take a break from your grueling work in the lab and get a chance to read this before midnight; today is the feast day of your patron saint, my dear niece, and you ought to do something special in his honor. Don’t be confused; I know that you are not named after Albert the Great, but do you know that he is patron of all students of the natural sciences? And since your biochemistry fetish still qualifies as a natural science, he is your patron. There you have it. I ...
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St Melito
Dear Mel, Your recent postcard made me think of today’s saint, St Melito, bishop of Sardis (not Sardis, Ohio, mind you, but Sardis, Germany). We barely know anything at all about the poor fellow. He died around 180 (we don’t know how), so I guess we can assume that he ...
St Benjamin
Dear Minny, Your point about introducing spiritual themes and Catholic doctrine gradually and subtly into your seminar discussions is well taken. Nevertheless, be on the lookout for what the spiritual masters call “human respect”: refraining from giving witness to Christ out of fear of ridicule. It can sneak up on ...
St John Climacus
Dear Clive, I have told you before that you will get yourself into trouble and waste precious time if you try to pursue holiness guided only by your own judgment. The old saying that “no one is a good judge in his own case” has been verified too many times ...
St Jonas and St Barachisius
Dear Barbara, I will be with you and your brother in spirit as you embark on your Spring Break Mission Trip. Be sure that God will be hard at work in your own souls and those of the people you visit. Since your trip begins today, why not take today’s ...
St Tutilo
Dear Tully, I too have met the kind of folks you refer to in your last note, and I too have pondered the question you posed for me. It is common for zealous Christians to react strongly against the mass media – sometimes too strongly. When they make a “zero ...
St John of Egypt
Dear John, If I estimate correctly, you are now on spring break. As I was praying for you on your saint’s day this morning, I tried to picture where you might be. Most likely, you have gone with some classmates to the old family vacation house in Newport, RI. Lovely ...
St Castulus
Dear Cassie, You can count on my prayers for your friend and fellow actor. It is a pity that he has wandered from the Church, but you can be sure that God will make use of your efforts to help him find his way back. Perhaps by opening night, you ...
Annunciation of the Lord
Dear Ann, I am quite disappointed in your philosophy department. Two years you have been studying under their guidance and you still don’t understand the concept of secondary causes – at least, the way you write about trying to discover God’s will for your life indicates that you don’t. You ...
St Catherine of Valdstena
Dear Kate, You mustn’t believe everything you hear – especially from the prime time newscasters. They love to spread news of “alleged scandals” caused by prominent Catholics (especially Christians), but when the allegations are proven false, their zeal for the scoop somehow evaporates. Find better sources for your news about ...
St Ethelwald the Hermit
Dear Ethel, Your complaints give you away. If you are finding the demands of Catholic morality burdensome, and have “had enough with these silly limitations,” as you put it, it is without a doubt because you have neglected your life of prayer. Doing God’s will has no attraction if our ...
St Nicholas of Flue
Dear Nick, As you prepare to embark on your career I will leave you with one thought: the blessings of God are not for heaven alone. Not at all, my ambitious young nephew, not at all. God has taken an interest in this world, and the closer you stay to ...
St Serapion
Dear Thomas, You ask me for a simple holiness formula. You say you are tired of reading so many books and articles about all the virtues and the sacraments and the devotions and the disciplines… “Sick and tired of complications,” so you say, “give me the gospel pure and simple.” ...
