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 Laurence O’Toole
Dear Larry, Do I detect an air of surprise in your last note? But why are you surprised? Are you the first to be spoken badly of by the very people you are trying to help? Hardly. If they are trying to brand you “arch conservative” and “homophobic” and “misogynist” and “hypocritical” simply because you are doing what you can to get the Church’s teaching aired in that relativism-infested atmosphere on campus, that’s par for the course. “Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you on my account…” (Matthew 5:11), ...
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St Ceolfrid
Dear Fred, You’re acting like a buffoon. I hope it’s only a mellow and temporary case of sophomore slump. It’s good to hear that you feel “volcanic desires to do great things for Christ”, but it’s not so good to hear that you are neglecting your studies because of those ...
Our Lady of Mercy
Dear Mercedes, As I’ve told you a thousand times before (at least, it feels like a thousand times), frustration is a function of expectations. When you find yourself becoming unreasonably frustrated, you’ll only find peace if you root out whatever unreasonable expectation that’s causing it. In your current case, I ...
St Pio of Pietrelcina
Dear Pip, You keep forgetting why your life is different than the Solar System. I will be happy to remind you. The Solar System stays in order without any effort. The planets don’t have to decide whether they will revolve around the sun or something else; they have no choice. ...
St Ignatius of Santhiá
Dear Nate, Now that you’re a senior you’re in the spotlight whether you like it or not. The younger students, football players, and Compass members will be taking cues from you whether they realize it or not – it’s a sociological thing, not necessarily a conscious decision on their part. ...
St Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Dear Maude, Someone once told me that the phrase “do not fear” appears 365 times in the Bible – one time for each day of the year. I never counted them myself, but it rings true. God wants our love, because he loves us. That’s why he created us. And ...
St Vincent Madelgarius
Dear Gary, Are the leaves starting to turn color yet? Ah, how I wish I could take a walk down the oak lane in autumn just as we used to do. But our Lord has seen fit to surround me with the drab scenery of carpet-covered cubicles for yet another ...
St Januarius
Dear Jane, I only have a few minutes, but tonight’s interrogation session looks like it’s going to be a long one, and after those I am usually out of commission for at least twelve hours, so I thought I better respond now, even though I’ll have to be brief. You ...
St Joseph of Cupertino
Dear Cooper, My dear nephew, not everyone is gifted in the same way, but everyone can (and should) learn to love God. You may not be stellar at academics (though, since you are currently a student, our Lord will still expect you to do your very best), but you are ...
St Robert Bellarmine
Dear Bert, I was glad to hear about how well your studies are going. I always knew God had given you intellectual talent, but I have to admit that I didn’t realize how much. As your faithful uncle (and godfather), I feel it my duty to remind you at this ...
St Cyprian of Carthage
Dear Karen, Don’t rest on your laurels, as some say. In times of peace, prepare for war, as others say. I am glad to hear that the group there is flourishing, but remember what happened in the days of today’s saint, and watch out. Cyprian was a model bishop in ...
Our Lady of Sorrows
Dear Dolores, I can’t tell you how deeply sorry I was to hear the news of your mother’s death. Please count on my prayers. It has been said that we can offer no greater prayer than that made of humble tears; I am sure we are both praying especially well ...
Triumph of the Holy Cross
Dear Tricia, Complaints, complaints, complaints. All you do is complain. You are the biggest and most voluble complainer I know. And I’d like to tell you right now that I’ve had it. I am no longer going to tolerate your complaints. For a while I thought you would get over ...
