Saints of October prepare us for the month of all saints

When I was a young high school seminarian, one of the exercises I looked forward to was a quarterly day of recollection. This meant we had no classes or other assigned duties for that day.

This day of recollection was scheduled for the first Friday of the first month of each quarter, so October was the month for our day of recollection. I recall that the priest who gave our day of recollection in October of my junior year dwelt on some of the saints of October as models for us. One thing he said I have not forgotten. He said the saints of October prepare us for the month of November, the month of all saints.

In this article, I would like to offer you just a few of the saints of October who do prepare us for the month of all saints. Not only are the lives of these saints edifying for us, but they show us in real time, ancient, medieval and modern, that holiness of life can always be achieved with the help of God’s grace and a firm willingness to use His grace for one’s own good and that of others.

Some of the saints from the earliest days of the Church remind us that we have a direct link to Jesus through them and their lives. They also remind us that it is a privilege to suffer for His sake and that of the Church, even to the point of a martyr’s death. We celebrate the feasts of the Apostles Sts. Simon and Jude on October 28, St. Ignatius of Antioch on October 17 and St. Luke on October 18.

Some of the saints from medieval times and the Middle Ages drew their strength from their devotion to the Most Holy Eucharist and who were favored with special sufferings and missions from Jesus Himself. We know these saints very well and again we need to imitate their obedient faith. We celebrate the feasts of St. Francis of Assisi on October 4, St. Margaret Mary Alacoque on October 16, St. Teresa of Avila on October 15, which is the Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time, and Sts. John de Brebeuf, Isaac Jogues and their Companions on October 19.

Some of the saints from modern times are St. Faustina Kowalska on October 5, Pope St. John XXIII on October 11 and Pope St. John Paul II on October 22, which is the Twenty-ninth Sunday in Ordinary Time. There are several more feasts of saints in October, but this gives us a good preparation for the month of all saints.

Do make an effort to be at Mass on these great feasts but if that is not possible, at least read of their lives and find in them inspiration for your own continued efforts to grow in virtue and holiness.