Did you know there is a patron Saint for nearly every situation?
Recently, I was asked by a friend to become her prayer partner. I did not feel qualified, but she insisted I was. I have never been one to pray long and with a lot of words. Knowing this, I thought about how I would pray for her intentions every week. It dawned on me I could call on the Saints to help me intercede for her intentions. Then I thought, why not call on the Saints for myself as well?
The Saints have been a part of Catholic life since the church’s inception. They were ordinary people who met with extraordinary circumstances that tested their faith and strength. The trial and tribulations these people suffered would break most of us today! As Catholics, we grew up learning about these Saints. We had to pick a Saint for our Confirmation. We recited the Litany of the Saints during First Friday Adoration as well as for funerals. I even heard it once at a wedding! If you went to Catholic school, you probably celebrated some of the feast days for the core Saints such as St. Jude, St. Patrick, and St. Monica to name a few. For a lot of us, this is where our devotion to the Saints began and ended. We’ve continued to pray to Jesus, Mary, and Joseph but what about all the Saints who are probably sitting around waiting for us to call on them to intercede for us in communion with Jesus, Mary, and Joseph? In these troubled times, I now find myself calling on the Saints more and more. A few of the main Saints I call on regularly are St. Jude-fixer of impossible situations, St. Anthony-finder of lost things, and St. Expeditus also known as St. Expedite- for emergencies, expeditious solutions, and procrastination.
We call on the top Saints for help but what about the obscure Saints (also called my Underdog Saints) who are often overlooked? They are probably bored waiting for us to call on them. So, I began to search for Saints who are lesser known but still venerated for the major things such as job loss, cancer, travel, legal issues, etc. I found a litany of obscure Saints for everything from technology to the lottery! Yes, there is a Saint for the lottery: St. Pantaleón! However, in reading about St. Pantaleón, I discovered not only is he the patron of the lottery, but he is also the patron of physicians, other medical professionals, and the sick and infirm! Whenever you are ill or someone you know, invoke St. Pantaleón in the name of Jesus to guard the sick person and guide the medical team!
Here are a few other obscure Saints I have discovered:
1. St. Isadore -Technology – Call on him when your iPhone isn’t cooperating!
2. St. Charbel – He can intercede for the healing of your body and soul.
3. St. Ivo of Kermartin – In legal trouble? St. Ivo can aid you in finding a good attorney!
4. St. Cajetan – patron Saint of job seekers and the unemployed. Doesn’t matter if you want a promotion or just a job, St. Cajetan can assist!
5. St. Vincent Ferrer – patron of contractors, builders, and plumbers. Pray to him before you call that plumber to keep that bill down!
6. St. Gertrude of Nivelles- the patron for cats! Yes, cats! Someone has to be able to understand and semi-control the little buggers!
7. Sts. Cosmas and Damian – In addition to being the Patrons of Medicine, they are even considered the Patrons of Surgeons, Physicians, Identical Twins, Dentists; the Protectors of Children, Barbers, Pharmacists, Veterinarians, Orphanages, Day-care Centers, Confectioners, Children in house and they are especially invoked against hernia, bedsores and illness, in general.
8. St. Adjutor- patron of swimmers- the best kind of life preserver!
9. St. Gammarus of Belgium – patron saint of difficult marriages. Apparently, his wife was the very definition of a shrew!
10. St. Erasmus, Bishop of Formia – patron saint of stomach ailments, colic, and appendicitis. I suppose if you ate one to many chilidogs, you could call on him to help you out!
There are hundreds and hundreds of Saints out there waiting to be called upon to assist! Grab a book of Saints and find your Underdog Saint to help you battle for or against whatever trials you encounter in this crazy life!
