Writings about the Saints

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Mtdobbs said:
I am wondering how people on CAF feel about books that are written about the Saints that “romanticize” their lives. Do you think it’s pious or that it’s a disservice to us by sometimes only showing us the good things about the Saints.
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I definitely think it does a disservice. When I was young, I read a book about the life of Thomas More (that I believe was published by Tan), and was disturbed by how they whitewashed certain details. The fact that his first marriage began as a consolation prize for the sister of the woman he truly loved was treated like a cute joke, and his treatment of heretics was probably glossed over as well (it’s been a long time since I read the book).

My favorite saint biography is Vita Sackville-West’s “Saint Joan,” and I love it precisely because it doesn’t shy away from the ugly and mundane parts of Joan’s story. What really distinguished this book for me was the epilogue, in which VSW gave her personal take on Joan. Even though she wasn’t a believer, and was well aware of Joan’s personal shortcomings, she nevertheless thought Joan had a “genius of personality” that set her apart from most of humanity, and admitted that it made her contemplate the possibility that maybe there exists something greater than our own reality.

It’s the saints as people and sinners, rather than beatific figures from picture books and holy cards, that really gives people hope and inspires them to draw closer to Christ.
 
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“Oftentimes in seeing these things (shrines, relics, ect.) men are moved with curiosity, and the novelty of the sight, and but little fruit of amendment is reaped thereby; especially when persons lightly run hither and thither, without true contrition for their sins.” (Imitation of Christ, 4, 1, 9)

To me, when I see only the great merits in the saints, it helps tremendously in humility and being contrite. On the other hand, I can see sometimes people envy. I did a number of times.
 
I do keep it in the back of my mind that hagiographers, especially in times past, often put their own stamp on their telling of a particular saint’s life, either embellishing or leaving out details for the supposed benefit of the faithful. I have also read that some well-meaning religious superiors often edited the writings of the saints who were under their care, and that translators and transcribers have sometimes reinterpreted the saint’s original meaning somewhat with their own choice of words. This doesn’t deter my devotion or admiration for the saints, but I do keep it in mind. I think we see less of this kind of thing the closer we get to the present.
 
Or how do the folks on CAF feel about something like this:

https://www.marypages.com/beatrice-en.html

Kind of embellishing a first class relic? I have personally witnessed this one. After reading the historical account, thought she was better left undisturbed where she was found resting.
 
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Making a pretty wax cover for a body or for relics is pretty common in Europe. As is displaying relics that people in North America would find really gory, like a saint’s tongue.

I just write it all off as Weird European Stuff.
 
I really enjoyed this bit of writing by John Coulson in “The Saints” about St. Augustine of Canterbury, whose feast day would have been yesterday if it wasn’t Trinity Sunday. Coulson was talking about how St. Augustine of Canterbury failed at persuading the Welsh Christians to accept calendar changes and his authority because he stayed seated when their delegation came into the room, and in so doing he probably annoyed St. Bede too:
Augustine was neither the most heroic of missionaries, nor the most tactful, but he did a great work, and he was one of the very few men in Gaul or Italy who, at that time, was prepared to give up everything to preach the gospel in a far country.
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I find it interesting and very human that a missionary could have been less than heroic and not very tactful, but still become a saint. And of course St. Bede became a saint too. I like to think of them laughing over their earthly silliness in heaven.
 
I tend to think most people add faults to saints rather than romantacize them.
 
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I don’t know maybe to make saints seem less holy and make less of a standard. Most posts here seem to suggest that they want them to be more realistic.
 
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Of course we want them to be realistic.
We’re always hearing that we ourselves are called to be saints. it’s easier to rise to that calling when the people we’re using for our models seem human. We already have an example of perfection in Jesus that we can never hope to match. We will also never be sinless like Mary. We need to see actual humans with faults who still became saints.

I have heard priests preach that Peter was selected as the first Pope precisely because he tended to stumble sometimes and therefore he could relate to other people and they could relate to him. The same could be said of St. Paul who had been a grave sinner.
 
I prefer to read their writings. And if biographies,realistic,factual.
 
By author sometimes and by style.
In general we exchange recommendations with friends who know each others’ preferences or my mom who knows what I like to read.
Same with other sort of books,novels,etc.
 
.It is the style it is written .
More of reporting .Facts without personal opinion.
Whether lying about facts,perhaps one chooses reliable authors . I have people around who know a lot more than me.They help me. Our priests do also,suggesting reading.
 
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People are fallible though and it could be self love making the decisions.
 
I think it would be best to give an example of something that sounds fishy or something.
 
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I do not read fishy books.Since religious is not the only type I read,I pick well known or diverse recommended in my arena. We do not have time in general to waste with the fishy…
If I am not answering your question,please forgive me.Maybe I do not get you.
It has much to do with being surrounded with very good readers,people who know and understand ,and are proficient in their arenas and recommend what is proper. They keep helping me.That is how I keep learning at least…
 
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Let me try…
For example,we may go straight to original sources,say the document itself. Or the original writing of a saint. Or a historical document. First.
When for example,one reads an article, if possible one mentally does away with the headline,skips opinion and reads the succession of events or the quoted words.
Then one goes for the context and the original.
Stuff like that. It is training ourselves. Not perfect but it helps.
When in doubt,abstain…
Hope it helps…
 
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