Collecting Stories

St. Angus the Culdee (Hermit), an Irish Monk and later, Abbot,  back in the latter half of the 8th and early part of the 9th century was inspired to start collecting stories of the saints to inspire the people of his day.  We take for granted the memorials of saints in our liturgical calendar, but, perhaps spend little time learning more about them. There are hundreds in the Roman Martyrology updated in 2004, whose names and stories never make it off the pages of this huge tome.  And there are "saints" in our own families, in our own lives whose stories can be a source of inspiration for us.  At funerals, it is customary for family members or friends to give a "eulogy", now simply termed, "words of remembrance", of the deceased, usually laced with funny tales of quirks and anecdotes, as well as expressions of sincere love and admiration.  These are the roots of family history and sources of inspiration for all, but especially the younger members of the family.  It's amazing how little the young know of, or appreciate the lives and deeds of their relatives, even their own grand parents or great grandparents.  As part of our Lenten reflections, it might be good to take time to remember and retell the stories that have been passed down, lest they be forgotten for good.
Bro. Rene