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 Monegundis
Dear Odile, Two months have passed since your cousin died, and I am worried about you. You say that you haven’t been able to get rid of the “funk” of sadness that swept over you in the wake of his violent death. Hmm… Well, my dear niece, I have always ...
St. Junipero Serra
Dear June, Happy birthday! It’s proof of your parents’ sense of humor that when you were born on July 1st they named you “June”. All I can say, though, is that you are lucky you weren’t a boy, because they probably would have named you “Junipero”, after today’s saint. I ...
St Cajetan
Dear Tom, I can sympathize with you. There’s nothing more frustrating for someone as active and creative as yourself than not being able to find work. It’s a pity the company that hired you before graduation went out of business after graduation. But that’s how the world works sometimes. It ...
The Solemnity of St Peter and St Paul
Dear Saul, I am surprised and pleased that you have already received your first promotion. Is it some kind of a record or something? Promoted after only six weeks on the job… Obviously, someone there has an eye for talent. I am sure this is only the first step in ...
St Irenaeus of Lyons
Dear Leo, I don’t think you have to juggle quite as much as you think. True, your fledgling radio show takes time – you have to do enough background investigation to know what you’re talking about. And true, your responsibilities in the Compass Chapter take time (very well spent, I ...
St Cyril of Alexandria
Dear Al, I think your frustration may be due to a subtle form of intemperance. It’s possible, you know, to be greedy in regards to money, or things, or honors, but it’s also possible to be greedy in regards to knowledge. I can’t help wondering if your rather frantic search ...
St Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer
Dear Joey, Do you know why you get frustrated? It’s always the same reason. Frustration always comes from unmet expectations. So, to get rid of the frustration you are feeling at your summer job, you have to adjust your expectations. Summer jobs are just that: summer jobs. They’re not meant ...
St Maximus of Turin
Dear Matt, I think you’re overreacting (as usual). Don’t get me wrong, it’s commendable that you are trying to organize your time conscientiously, especially since nobody else is going to be organizing it for you (as this summer’s Fellowship is your first taste of full time research, you will soon ...
The Birth of John the Baptist
Dear Bertha, What a beautiful tradition! Taking your aspirant’s uniform on today’s Feast has a lot of significance. It shows that what you are “aspiring” to as you enter a religious community is much different and much more than what your friends are aspiring to as they begin their new ...
St Joseph Cafasso
Dear Joe, I am sorry to bother you, but I had a particularly inspiring meditation this morning (in spite of the heat – do you realize how horribly hot office cubicles can get when the air conditioning is on the fritz?), and I have to share it with someone. I ...
St John Fisher
Dear Cheri, I am glad you’re enjoying the beauties of nature. Believe me, I wish I could join you. A beach house in the tropics would be a welcome respite from this drab, fluorescent-flooded fraction of a cubicle. And I am sure the children you are taking care of are ...
St Aloysius Gonzaga
Dear Gonzo, I’m sorry to hear that you’re already bored. It surprises me a little bit, since you tend to be so active and creative. I imagine there’s a little bit of subtle rebellion at work inside your boredom – since you didn’t get the summer you were hoping for, ...
