Saints Ancient & Modern
Barbara Calamari
ISBN 9780670038497
ASIN B00S6PS1FC
I stumbled upon another volume by this writing team and have since reading that first one tracked down all but 1 in digital format. Because of a dual form of dyslexia I greatly prefer eBooks. The first volume I read was all about Holy Cards, and it was a fascinating read. There are four editions of this work I can find released between 2007 and 2015by Avery, Studio and Viking Studio.
The description of this volume states:
“Journey through time as Saints reveals the wonder and power of God through full color illustrations, images and inspirational prayers.
For more than two thousand years, the Christian saints have had great influence worldwide. They lived full, passionate lives and remain compelling examples of God’s work here on Earth. Now, this new, inspiring collection of biographies reveals the legendary stories, little-known facts, and inspiring beliefs of some of the best-loved saints.
Saints explores a select group of these individuals whose influence can be felt profoundly in the modern day. Each profile includes a biography with patronage and feast dates throughout the world, along with prayers both to and about each saint. These saints inspired countless classic artworks and you’ll also learn the symbols used to identify each.
From the patience of Saint Joseph and independence of Saint Ursula, to the boldness of Saint Joan of Arc and the love of Saint Pio, God’s grace and power is made evident to us all. Despite the tumultuous times in which these saints lived, they remained uniquely themselves on the path to holiness, making this collection especially real and relevant today. Whether you aspire to follow in the footsteps of the saints, or just want to learn more about these men and women, you’ll find Saints a stimulating read and the perfect gift for others.”
The subtitle on one edition of the book states:
“reveals the legendary stories, little-known facts, and inspiring beliefs of some of the best loved saints, and prays.”
At the beginning of the book, before the title page we are informed:
“For more than two thousand years, the Christian saints have had great influence worldwide. Now, this new, inspiring collection of biographies reveals the legendary stories, little-known facts, and inspiring beliefs of some of the best loved saints. Full color throughout, each profile includes a biography with patronage and feast dates, along with prayers both to and about the saint.”
The chapters and sections in this volume are:
Acknowledgements
Introduction
Ancient Saints
Saint Michael
Saint Anne
Saint Joseph
Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Jude
Saint Cecilia
Saint Valentine
Saint Christopher
Saint Lucy
Saint Nicholas
Saint Ursula
Saint Benedict
Modern Saints
Saint Francis of Assisi
Saint Clare of Assisi
Saint Anthony of Padua
Saint Rita of Cascia
Saint Joan of Arc
Saint Teresa of Avila
Saint Martin de Porres
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Saint Teresia Benedicta of the Cross
Saint Pio
Written Works by the Saints
Canonization
Index
Picture credits
My first time through this volume I only highlighted one passage:
“Every town and country has saints that are familiar to the local residents and obscure to the rest of us. Since it is estimated that there are more than ten thousand formally recognized saints, it was possible to profile only a very few for this book. Instead of brief biographies and images of many significant saints, we opted to go into detail about a varied handful that have an ongoing influence in modern life. The saints we have chosen are in no way the most important or exalted; many are extremely popular, some less well known. They bring with them a mix of personalities and ethnic cultures that reflect the makeup of today’s diverse society.”
Each of the saints has three or four page double page spread. The first two page spread is the name of the saint, a full page picture or photo of classic artwork or of the saint. Then each has:
Feast Day:
Patron of:
Invoked for:
Symbols:
Then the information about this saint and it concludes with a prayer. A sample info section for Saint Michael is:
Feast Day: September 29
Patron of: Belgium, Brussels, England, Germany, Umbria, firemen, grocers, health, knights, mariners, policemen, soldiers
Invoked for: good health, a holy death, physical protection
Symbols: defeating the devil or a serpent, scales, sword
A sample prayer is:
“Prayer for the Intercession of Saint Teresa Benedicta
Lord, God of our fathers, You brought Saint Teresa Benedicta to the fullness of the science of the cross at the hour of her martyrdom.
Fill us with the same knowledge, and, through her intercession, allow us always to seek after you, the supreme truth, and to remain faithful until death to the covenant of love ratified in the blood of your Son for the salvation of all men and women.
We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen.”
A few of the chapters have extra photos or highlight specific quotes from the chapters.
This is an amazing little volume. I absolutely loved working through it and plan on rereading it again. The chapters are 6 to 8 pages. And does an amazing job conveying a great deal of information about the saint. It is an excellent book I can easily recommend for home, school, or church library!
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2024 Catholic Reading Plan!
Books by Barbara Calamari and Sandra DiPasqua:
Novena: The Power of Prayer (1999)
Our Lady of Guadalupe in a Box: A Novena Prayer Kit (2002)
Visions of Mary (2004)
Our Lady of Guadalupe (2004)
Holy Cards (2004)
Saints: Ancient & Modern (2007)
Patron Saints: A Feast of Holy Cards (2007)
Holy Places: Sacred Sites in Catholicism (2015)
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Books by Barbara Calamari:
The Bible Companion: The Complete Illustrated Handbook to the Holy Scriptures
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