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 Montanus, St Lucius, and their Companions
Dear Lucy, What good are all of your apostolic activities – retreats, guest speakers, social events, etc. – if you and the other organizers give in to jealousy, resentment, and backbiting? If you yourselves are not living the touchstone of authentic Catholicism, sincere love for one another out of love ...
St Polycarp
Dear Polly, Sometimes I think that it would be better if you didn’t have it so easy. College life, as you describe, is almost too comfortable. I get the impression that few people around you really care whether or not you live out your faith with gusto, and so you ...
Chair of Peter, Apostle
Dear Charles, There’s a simple way to resolve your dilemma. If you want to determine whether a particular professor or cleric is doctrinally trustworthy, just take note of how they speak and write about the teachings of the Pope and about the Papacy in general. The Papacy is God’s chosen ...
St Peter Damian
Dear Pete, I find your victory in the Northeast Crossword Puzzle Tournament disturbing. If you have gotten so good at doing crosswords, it means that you have taken a lot of time to practice. And I can just imagine when – right when you sit down to dive into an ...
St Tyrannio, St Zenobius and other Martyrs
Dear Troy, Why do you underestimate the power of God? You act as if being faithful to him will spell utter disaster for you in the professional world. I don’t see the connection. Yes, if you follow God’s commandments it won’t be easy, you’ll have to resist plenty of temptations ...
St Mesrop
Dear Rob, Great Catholic literature is a nutritious accompaniment, but the staple of your spiritual reading needs to be the Bible. Only the Bible is inspired and inerrant. It (along with the liturgy) is the fountainhead of all the other great Christian writings; to appreciate them fully and benefit from ...
St Simeon
Dear Simon, My volatile nephew, I believe you were bested. You lost your temper while your Protestant roommate kept his cool, and so he has once again emerged from your “discussion” convinced that Catholics are simply misinformed and need to be re-educated according to the true faith. I hope it ...
St Fintan of Cloneenagh
Dear Nancy, I was worried about your Cornerstone group, and so I was doubly happy to hear that it’s beginning to gel. Sometimes it takes a while for people to build up enough trust so that they can really open up, sharing one another’s troubles and triumphs in gentleness and ...
St Onesimus
Dear Shamus, I am very glad to hear from you – finally. Your note was an answer to my prayers. I was troubled to no end when I heard that you stopped going to Mass as soon as you got to college. It is unfortunate that you had to experience ...
St Sigfrid
Dear Frieda, I can identify with your frustration. For three years you and your COMPASS Chapter have been working hard to transform campus culture, and yet the “normal” behavior of your fellow students remains reprehensible. I would point out two considerations in this regard: 1) Don’t forget that sometimes one ...
St Cyril and St Methodius
Dear Cy, I completely agree with you; “competition” between Catholic groups is wholly out of place. We are all engaged in the same great work – that of building up the Kingdom of Christ – and rivalries, jealousies, and envy only obstruct our progress. The Church has always been a ...
St Catherine dei Ricci
Dear Cathy, You seem to be juggling your many responsibilities as a senior with admirable dexterity. It is an indication that the healthy prayer life and the habits of self-discipline and Christian virtue that you have been working so hard on for the past three years have begun to bear ...
