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 Cuthbert
Dear Bert, I get the distinct impression that you are using the same process to choose a seminary as you did to choose a college. I wonder why. Following a vocation to the priesthood is hardly the same as going to college. Your steps to discern which seminary to enter ...
St Joseph, Husband of Mary
Dear Seth, Have you ever thought about how God would describe you? If he were to introduce you to the heavenly court, for instance, what would he say? “Attention everyone! Attention! Here is Seth, the son of Karl and Martha, the architecture student, the…” What would he say? It’s an ...
St Cyril of Jerusalem
Dear Sarah, I am glad to hear that your roommate’s preparations for confirmation are going well. In my book, you’re the best sponsor she could have. (She must agree, since she chose you.) In your discussions, don’t neglect telling her about the difficulties that are certainly in store for her. ...
St Patrick
Dear Rick, Reading those articles you forwarded makes my blood boil. Those people call themselves Christians, but they forget about Christ! I guess there is room for some sociological studies and statistical analyses when it comes to evangelization, but it certainly can’t be reduced to that. God alone can grant ...
St Abraham Kidunaia
Dear Abe, Whatever you do, don’t give up. Hell is furnished with thousands of wonderful apostolic projects that were abandoned before completion. If you believe in God, keep forging ahead; don’t let obstacles and failures and difficulties deter you. For a Christian who really loves Jesus, who is passionately devoted ...
St Longinus
Dear Lonnie, Unless I am mistaken, you leave tomorrow for your pilgrimage to Rome. I do so hope you will keep me in your prayers as you visit those sacred sites. Nothing would give me more pleasure than to be there with you, telling you all about the innumerable treasures ...
St Matilda
Dear Regina, It must be a relief to have finally decided on a major. Frankly, I am quite pleased with your decision; if there’s one place in academia that needs a Catholic presence, it’s Women’s Studies. You will do a great service to the department (and your fellow students) if ...
St Euphrasia
Dear Frieda, Sometimes we are beset with more temptations than other times. It sounds like you are currently at the “more” part of the pendulum swing. Our Lord is certainly not ignorant of this; in fact, he is probably allowing it in order to help you live your Lent more ...
St Maximilian
Dear Max, If you are afraid to take a stand for Christian morals now, while still in the insulated comfort of college, I blanche to think how you will fare in the exposed battlefields of Washington, New York, or Los Angeles. Now you only have your reputation and popularity to ...
St Constantine
Dear Tanya, It is brave of your friends to become Catholics, and although it may not seem like it, they need your support. Because of their unusual family situation, their conversion will bring with it not only familial disapproval, but the actual loss of status. The Slavic nobility is a ...
St Macarius
Dear Mac, Be careful not to confuse worship and entertainment. Just because you sometimes find Mass “boring” and “get nothing out of” receiving Holy Communion doesn’t mean that your private “praise and worship” sessions are more authentic. They may be more fun for you and your fellow guitar disciples (nothing ...
St Dominic Savio
Dear Don, Thank you for asking my opinion of your Lenten program for fasting and sacrifice. It is, if I may be frank, ridiculous. If you follow through with all those radical proposals, you will necessarily neglect your primary duty (your studies), you will most likely wreck your health, and ...
