St. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us! – Thanks Mom!
Christy: [00:00:00] Hello, everyone. We’re glad you’re here. We wanted to welcome you to the podcast. I’m your cohost Christie.
Grace: And I’m your other cohost grace. I mean, you’re
Christy: listening to. Thanks mom podcast. We’re excited to be here. At least I am because we’re outside and it’s a beautiful evening.
And we’re drinking wine on the porch. Or the deck. And trying to. Get an episode in. Yeah of.
Grace: So it’s a busy week where ava. Does Irish dancing. So we’re going to a competition with her this weekend when we usually would record. So. We’re recording ahead. Yeah.
Christy: We’re recording a bit earlier. Than normal.
Trying to take advantage of. A little bit of a slower evening. And so just nice though. It’s beautiful summertime here in Michigan. I hope it’s beautiful where you are. Those sometimes. I do. I don’t know. I love the rain. I love a [00:01:00] good summer thunderstorm. Don’t you?
Grace: Yeah, but they don’t ever come enough. It’s always I feel
Christy: like the past few years you’re right.
They don’t come very often or we don’t have,
Grace: like, it’s always like a rain day. I always watch the news. I try and watch the news in the morning or not the news, the weather, I just like to know ahead of time. And I’ll watch it and they’ll always be like, and there’s going to be thunderstorms today.
North of grand rapids. And there’s going to be thunderstorms today, mostly south of grand rapids and it never hits grand rapids. It’s really frustrating. I’m just like, It just goes around us. Yeah, and I don’t like that. And it frustrates me because in my opinion, it shouldn’t. You can have a downpour rain, but you like shouldn’t have like,
Just drizzly rain or just a cloudy day. And it’s about to rain. Cause that’s just. Boring. Pointless in my opinion, it’s like, why are.
Christy: At night. Let’s see. I don’t mind that when your trying to go to sleep, I love. Falling asleep to the rain. Thunderstorm.
Grace: So I don’t hear it. So they always come overnight and people in the morning, you’re like you wake up during the thunderstorm last night. I’m like, no, I haven’t. [00:02:00]
Three years it’s fresh.
Christy: It’s weird. Cause we haven’t had a day that just like reigns out either, you know, like it’s we have a pool folks, which is. A great blessing and I love walking out too, and I’m not complaining at all. But there is this like weird selfish, like, oh, I should. Not selfish, like, but that like guilt, I should be out at the pool because it’s sunny.
And usually Michigan’s not clean known for always being sunny, but because I have a pool I really noticed when you do get a cloudy or rainy day and it hasn’t been very often and I’m not complaining because I love the sun. Your butt. I don’t know, I just would rather have like nice thunderstorm or a nice rain day, every so often.
Grace: So. But. Okay
Christy: You’re not like that. So anyway enough about thunderstorms.
Well, I don’t know. I’ve had thoughts on thunderstorm still. Oh, Then talk about thunderstorms. Well, I was just saying. Oh, what was I saying?
Grace: [00:03:00] Oh, I was just like, there’s I feel like there’s not a point if it’s not going to thunder or it’s not going to pour. There’s a fly in my face.
Christy: Joy of being outside.
Grace: Basically there is. Okay. Side note. There was when we went, we visited my grandparents this past weekend. Me and my dad really quick.
And there’s just like a big bumblebee. So not the ones that sing that just like body-slammed me, which
Christy: that’s uncomfortable small, but, but it just like flew right toward my face. And I had time to move, you know, how bugs will move now? Like, oh, you’re on the way. It kept coming toward me and just like hit me in the face. I was just like, what the heck? Anyways?
But thunderstorms, as you digress back to thunderstorms. As we digress even less, hopefully. I don’t know. I was just like, what’s the point if like they’re not. If you’re not going to thunder. Cause then it’s exciting. And stuff, or if it’s not going to pour and you’re like, wow, I can’t even see the end of the street. That’s when it’s fun and cool. But when it just gets cloudy, you’re like, okay, now I don’t want me outside because it’s cold and sad.
Or it’s like drizzling and you’re like, I don’t want to be sad because I’m going to get dripped on. But you’re like, it’s still, it’s not like. Fun to be inside because you look out the window, doesn’t look like it’s raining. You only notice if it’s [00:04:00] raining. If you go outside. Cause it’s just drizzly or it’s just.
Grace: I don’t know.
Christy: That’s interesting.
How do we, how do we transition here, grace? I don’t know.
Grace: I know how to share my 2 cents. I’m like, oh, I think it’s. In my opinion of not enough rain, which I feel like grand rapids keeps getting like. I don’t know.
Yeah. So what are we even talking about?
Christy: I think we were going to talk about the saints of the day, just because. We have two pretty awesome saints. That are connected to you more than to me, but I’ve been getting to know them more. And that’s what I really like about them. And so we want to talk about St. Louis and our Lewis, but people call them.
. Zelie Martin, which I love the name. Zelie and it’s hard for me when people say Zelie, which is very American, but I’d like that it’s actually, yeah.
Grace: Well, it looks, and when you’re being the American pronunciation, you would say Zelie. It for years until I heard someone say, Zelie and I was like, oh, that’s the French pronounce.
Christy: So. Today on the day that we’re recording is the [00:05:00] feast of St. Louis and Zelie Martin. We’re talking about the Martin’s because they’re close to Grace’s heart.
Because her confirmation state is St. Therese of Lisieux and what else? I love it because they are the first canonized. A couple of couple that were married with children. So there are other canonized couples, which I didn’t know, but these ones were like, had a family. Wow. And I didn’t realize. That’s where I’ve been learning more about them because of a couple of things that I’ve been listening to.
Especially about St. Zelie and some of the beautiful works that she’s done. Specifically. That she has. She worked. And which we think of, I think we think people back then that women really didn’t work that much, especially if they had a family. And she was understood or she got like,
A beautiful thing that I had heard about her is that she got a nanny or basically a babysitter so that she could go to daily mass without her children. [00:06:00] And I’ve heard this. Through, I’ve talked about, made for greatness a lot. And we talk about St. Zelie daily a lot just in the business aspect of things. And so myself trying to.
You know, start my own branding with life coaching and speaking and podcasting that. Learning when you dig deeper about some of these saints. I think it’s really cool how you realize how. Just like us. They are. That’s why I think it’s really cool to try and find. You know, a Saint to, you know, not just your patroness or your confirmation Saint, but like, I’m going to follow this Saint for a month or for six months, or I’m going to dig into this. And when you can find some deeper stuff, which.
I think is my trouble. Not because it’s not there, but because I haven’t dug as deep because I’m trying to figure that out. But those are a couple like superficial things that I had heard about her, which we can come back to, but maybe we should talk about the Martins. What’s your aspect of the history? Cause you know, a little bit more historically.
Who the Martins were.
Grace: Yeah, I learned a little more today about, about their past before their children. Cause I would just, I just knew about [00:07:00] them when they were parents of Therese. Cause I, I read a lot like. Just even as a kid, because it was like, she’s my confirmation Saint. So you do like a book report on your saint. And so I just did a lot of like her life research and now I’ve read more like.
Of her writings, but I was just reading like, you know, Catholic Instagram world, every time there’s a big saint. You just everyone’s posting about them. And so I was reading some of the stuff people were sharing on their stories today. And apparently. So I knew that both of them thought they were going to go into religious life.
Christy: I heard about that today, too.
Grace: But what I didn’t know was that the first time they met, Zelie heard in her heart. This is the man I had prepared for you.
Christy: Okay. Let’s so let’s just pause right there. So think about this, you are. a young adult, you are discerning vocation. You feel called to be married after going through thoughts of like discerning religious life. So here are two completely kind of,
Grace: they both got denied entry. They tried, they both. applied to religious life and they both got denied on health reasons.
Christy: Okay. So [00:08:00] see, I didn’t hear that. I learned that today. So there you go. So, okay. So that would be the Lord, you know, shutting the door. Okay. But I think about that in the other way. So think about like for you where you’re like, am I really called the religious life? I really want to get married. I want to have a family.
But then these people, I really want to do religious life. And then I didn’t know that they get shut down because of their health or different things. Cause yes. Cause then she died of breast cancer. Very young. Yeah. And.
I just, I think of it and the other way. And so then, cause you imagine then you meet your husband and you’re like, no, I want to be a religious sister. I want to be a nun, I want to be cloister. I don’t know. Hi. I’m Louis Martin. And the holy Spirit’s like, duh duh duh!. This is your future husband.
Or however you would say it, like, okay, maybe. Maybe the cherubim or seraphim the holy spirit, doesn’t speak that way.
Grace: But it was just a, this is the man I prepared for you. That was the simplicity of what she said.
Christy: Okay, come on. There’s gotta be more to that. When I meet her someday, God willing.
I would just be like, what did they talk about? What her [00:09:00] reaction to that was, because that would be kind of profound.
Grace: I don’t know. I didn’t hear that. I just heard like her writing of her saying that wow. She was like, I never had marriage on my mind until I met your father. And I met him. He like, I heard, I heard a deep voice in my heart. This is the man I have prepared for you. And she’s like, he has been such a wonderful husband. I hope.
every woman has a man like Louie or something like that.
Christy: It’s beautiful. See, I want, okay. So there’s a book out there. Called the lace maker. And I really want to get that. And read that because I don’t think it’s an actual biography on her. I think it might be some adapted, like historical fiction or somebody wrote about her life. So don’t quote me on that. I haven’t looked much into that, like on Amazon or whatever, but I hear that.
Just through some different things. Like, because she, I mean, And lace making. So let’s go back to this. I know I’m popping all over. So they had how many children.
Grace: Nine only five lived outside of infancy,
Christy: which I cannot imagine. Like that’s just heartbreaking and all five became nuns. Yeah. And. They’re [00:10:00] canonized saints.
Grace: One of them. I Therese. The rest of her. No, as in the park. Parents. The parents raised all these religious.
Therese is a canonized saint, two of her sisters, right. Or up for beatification, or have that, that I know of. I don’t know. I thought there’s a, cause at least for one of them, I thought. Maybe two, but I know none of them are blessed right now. Okay. So and then your parents. And they’re just not. Yeah.
I haven’t moved on yet. But I mean, but then. Yeah, both the parents are. Canonized saints, which to me is like, okay, Lord. Work in my life that Paul and I can be like that and raise these holy saints like everyday. I’m like, okay, I want to be a Saint. I wake to try and like, how do you want me to serve you today, Lord? Like, how should I share? How should I show up?
How do we raise these kids? And yet. Here’s an example. I think that’s why it’s just become so much more tangible to me over the past few years of who they are and what they’re doing. And. [00:11:00] Or what they’ve done and what they’re calling us to do and how we can pray and advocate for their that’s just, ah, I don’t know. It’s just there. It’s kind of just mind blowing to me, I guess, as a parent of six children.
Christy: we should look and go, okay, these, these, these guys weren’t perfect. But obviously they check the boxes and they had a very hard like life and I don’t know, personal relationship, but just like a lot of health things. And a lot of even just mental health things in their family, like. When you read some of that, it’s like they didn’t have an easy road by any means. Like.
Grace: I know when Therese was little. I can’t remember if it was because of Therese or because of her mom or both. One of them was sick or something. And so she sent Therese. Zelie sent Therese of to an aunt or maybe it was just a close friend to be nursed for a year.
Christy: I think that’s just huge.
Grace: To give your infant away. For a year for someone else too. I’m sure they like interacted with them, but I don’t think the person was close. So it wasn’t often, it’s not like, you know, you see them all the time. And then she came back and grew up with them the rest, but, but it was only. [00:12:00] She was 5. So the first year of her life, she wasn’t living at home. She was being nursed by another lady. Yeah. She came back to them, lived four more years and her mom died. So I just can’t.
Christy: I mean, that’s like Sophie. She’s not even four like, what would you do? I mean, that just.
Grace: That’s like sending Sophie away after a few months,
Christy: and then she came back and then basically I, I die.
Like what. She’s gonna be four and then the other year. Okay, well, whatever, but you know what I mean? It’s just the, it was just the young childhood of that all. There you go. But, but yeah, the impact that has to have on the whole family, not just on that youngest child.
Grace: There’s a lot. I think there was, I mean, I don’t think they had the language for it reading back through a lot of. All those family members like letters and works like. There was like anxiety that you can just how, and that was just like passed in the family, like Genetically, it sounded profitably.
I don’t know if I can say that. But when I’m listened, [00:13:00] it’s like, that was probably like Yeah, hereditary thing, I guess you could. I’m not, I’m just saying I’m not a professional person. If I’m saying that someone else is like, no, there’s proof that it actually wasn’t. This is just what I’ve heard through different podcasts.
But like, that’s just been very well.
Christy: They’ve said that with St. Therese, for sure that she was just very, also her mother, that she was very, had a, you know, what, we would probably call an anxiety order. Plus she had very late. Not an order. I say order a disorder, but plus a lot of like almost OCD tendencies.
Yep. With her little way with what she did. I mean, the, like, there. The recordings of like clipping her nails to give to her sister and say, hold on to these. Cause there’ll be relics. Cause I’ll be a Saint. So there’s like this, this both. And like, she was very anxious. Yet. It was almost like she was prideful if I dare say that word, but I don’t think it’s that. I think.
Grace: I think that was on her death bed and she just had a different, no. She just knew it was happening.
Christy: Right. I filled that. I mean, that’s beautiful, but it’s also a beautiful witness of. [00:14:00] Expectant faith. Like I’ve done my little way. The Lord showed me how to do this little way. And that had to come through her family, even despite this. I mean, I, I guess I’m saying, look at this is a very normal family. Look how crazy and messed up our world is and how many disorders are out there? Anxiety, depression, especially since COVID.
Right. That’s raving rampant and yeah. And there’s a lot of scrutiny out. Scrupulosity with all of these things that are world, that people who are trying to live. Counter culturally of that is we can become very scrupulous of like, is this right? Is this wrong? Like, how do I survive in this. You know,
No longer Christian. World that we’re living in. It’s a post Christian society in so many ways. Yeah, we can look at this family and go. They overcame. These people had anxiety that ran in their family. We’ve dealt a lot with that. Without family. Yes. Just straight up sickness. Four of their kids died. Like some, [00:15:00] some of them lived.
Grace: I think the oldest live too. Three or four, but some died like days or weeks after the afternoon.
Christy: But, I mean, just to see that. They trust.
Grace: Very big sickness when she was young too, they thought she was going to do.
Christy: Did she have tuberculosis?
Grace: That’s what she died of. She just, I don’t remember what she had, but when she was a kid, she had something and they thought she was dying. And then there was a miracle.
So.
Christy: But, I mean, I think it’s just beautiful witness to, they didn’t give up. The saints are not people that. Have a cakewalk life or the opposite of what I think at sometimes I’ve imagined in my life and not. Understood like how I know now, but like,
Or they were out wearing, you know, sack cloth or hair shirts, like John, the Baptist and living a hermit life. Like. These are people as I’m discovering more. And I think grace you’ve just done a much wonderful. Like much deeper and journey with the saints than I did at your age is I guess what I’m saying. And as I’m trying to. [00:16:00]
Understand and learn about more saints. At my age now is I look at this and this is a whole family of just religious and saints that we’re not we’re normal. Like weren’t on this pedestal. And. I think a lot of times, Also this lady can think, oh, we just can’t really attain, obtain that because of this and this and this. But here is a family who really overcame a lot of odds. Like you said, a lot of sickness.
Multiple. You know, infant deaths in their family. Uh, Anxiety disorders, health issues, and yet never gave up and kept seeking Christ. Like that is such a witness and it, and that’s why I think they’re so cool to exemplify because here you have a husband, you have a male, a female, a wife, their daughters, their daughter, who is a Saint, like there’s so many examples.
Something was going right in the family. Admit. Even though mom died young, even though multiple children died, that Therese was able to see this and. She went into combat. How young was [00:17:00] she? 15. Right. And she had gotten denied because she had petitioned before that. And finally was allowed. So she had a calling at what? 12, 10.
Grace: I remember how young she said she felt it, but yeah, something around there probably.
Christy: I just think that that’s amazing. That that goes back to me. Like there’s something instilled in the home lights there. That she had that through either her sisters. Through her father. Really an exemplary, like she felt.
Grace: If I remember when I’m reading a lot more, when her sister left for the caramel. Oldest sister. And then she was like, okay, I really want this and that, you know, some of that’s probably a lot of like, I want to be like my sister, you know, as a kid, of course. Sure. I think that’s when it picked up more.
The other thing I love about them about the couple is. That their feast day is on there. Wedding anniversary. Yeah. I think that’s a good test. Like you’re being canonized as a couple. And just that’s PR that’s like everyone says your vocation is it’s is what’s going to get you to heaven. So their marriage is what got them to heaven.
Given it ended [00:18:00] earlier, you know, because she, because Daley died so young, but. Like. I just, I love that. Like when I read that today, because usually it’s on your death anniversary, which if you’re gonna be kinda nice as a couple, you know, that’s not, they don’t have the same doubts anniversary.
But I just think that’s cool. And that’s just like, Sometimes, I feel like we make a lot of the sacraments, like. Important, but I just. Like, I feel like sometimes we forget. The marriage is also sacrament as a culture. Like, not that it’s not known, but just like, no, that’s like a lot of hard work. You see, you see marriage and family and like that’s just the daily life we always see. And I almost feel like.
People forget. It’s also a sacrament. Like it’s not as sometimes we put, like, I feel like ordination on a pedestal, which isn’t wrong. Like it’s still a very powerful sacrament, like priesthood. Yeah. But just remembering, remembering, like, and, but also this, this is also a sacrament, but I think it’s so normal to us.
And because it is the natural physical calling compared to like the supernatural calling of priesthood. And religious life, but. I [00:19:00] that’s what, I don’t know. That’s what strikes me when it’s like, and this is their wedding anniversary. It’s like, yes, that’s so fitting, like. I know. The sacrament that got them to heaven, you know?
Christy: Shout out to my parents because it’s a day after there’s there’s this the 11th and we’re, we’re recording on July 12th. There. Yeah. Peace day, their anniversary, the Martins, and. I just think it’s. Amazing. I don’t know. What I love about it is that. How tangible it is, like you said, it’s they chose a vocation of service. Like marriage is.
Like holy orders. It’s a vocation, it’s a sacrament of service. It’s the other one they’re complimentary on the opposite sides of, you know, what they do. Excuse me. But I think it’s just so interesting that. Like I said at the beginning, what she did was. Zaley stood out to me so much as I’ve learned about her in the past couple months.
That she saw a need to be a mother to fulfill her vocation, but also be able to take that time [00:20:00] away to either provide. You know, for the family, as she worked as a lace maker, which wasn’t some just holy endeavor, that’s a very, in some ways vain, like she was working for the wealthy. You know, she was creating lace how beautiful my grandmother was a seamstress and she did tons of embroidery and times like Jesus with carpentry.
You know, You’re working for people too. To buy things for you in that way, but that she also like took that time to recognize. I need my quiet time. I need my silence like this isn’t me being selfish. This is me recognizing that to be a better wife, to be a better mother. I need time away, which might require hiring somebody to watch the children or making sure I have that time out. Like, it just seems so.
Tangible to me as a mother to go, oh, see this isn’t some new fangled thing or this isn’t some thing that we’re like, oh, we just need some. You know, time by ourselves. No, we need, we need to be fed. We need to be taking that time. So we actually can come back and better. Live out and serve in our [00:21:00] vocation and in our hauling, that’s just really struck me.
Grace: I also. Another thing I was thinking of. So I was blessed and got to go to a Sue when I was in Poland. I did a little weekend trip to France. And. So. Therese is buried. And her other three sisters that were Carmelites are also varied. At the caramel where they all served. They’re not served.
But lived right. That’s where yeah. I’m not sure.
After that. I remember thinking, like, I want to look up for her one sister who wasn’t a Carmelite is buried and also where her. Young, like babysitting’s were more buried, but anyways, that’s not important, but it was just funny. I was like, where did they come from before? LASU because they didn’t want to lose.
And then, which is like how far away? I don’t know. I think it’s probably back there. That’s probably it. I think it’s a little more south. Like another two hours south. I think I did look it up, but it’s not fresh in my mind. So they’re still in the north of France. Like. Compared to the rest of the country.
Anyways. But so I got to go see Tresor buried in the caramel, and then I didn’t realize [00:22:00] her parents were buried and they built a Basilica for in St. Therese’s name. And so we went and visited and her parents are buried in the crypt there. So the lower church, the lower Basilica. And that was, so it was just, I mean, it was powerful enough to just get to go.
See Therese, like visit her tomb. And it was just a moment where I was just like, I’ve never really called you. Like my older sister and crispy. I was like, I really do, like, in that moment, I was like, I just feel like you’ve been just this older sister, like kind of a. You picked me and you’re guiding me in this spiritual journey. I didn’t, like I’ve said this before. Cause I, I love to talking about her. Like.
I did pick her, but also like the things that stick out to me, like it wasn’t me seeking it out. I just learned something it’s like, that was the Lord and trance, like. Wanting me to learn that. And it just felt very like mentored in that way of just being picked out and mentored. And so that was just cool to be like, this is where all the body of Christ and you’re like my older sister and I’m the oldest. So I don’t have an older sister. So you’re my older sister now, like just, you know, getting to spend time there. And then I got to go see her parents. [00:23:00]
And. Like I said, I feel. Called to marriage. And so just getting to see like, yes. It was really profound for. He was seeing there. Her Basilica. And being like, she was like, I’ve said this to. Like on her death bed. They, some of the sisters were like, where are we going to say for. She didn’t do anything. And then I look at this huge Basilica I’m like, that is just God being like, you give me your little, whatever, like, whatever you have, you give it, you give it to me. Even if it’s small, I’m going to make something out of it. And yeah. And her huge Basilica was just very tangible for me in that of like her little way, the little things she did her small 24 years.
And now she’s a doctor of the Church, everyone knows about her and they didn’t think anyone would know about her. And then I got to go see your parents. And it was like, but also there, yes. Like, yes. Therese. Yes. But their yes. And their vocation. Right. And their parenthood. Th that’s also why, like this place is here. Like not the Basilica being some.
valid. It’s not the importance of the church, but just, that’s why this place is here in [00:24:00] almost. I just thought of this now, like. They were the base there in the base of the church. Like almost like the foundation of this church. Because without them, she wouldn’t have been the Saint. She was, and I just remember like sitting in front of their two men, I was like,
Help me like. And discern my vocation and like, I want to be, I want it to be that good of a mother someday, that I can be that base for someone to assure you, not like you’re the lesser known saints compared to your daughter. Who’s a doctor, but if it wasn’t for you and your yes, like. You, she wouldn’t be here in her.
Message. And so many people like myself who like have fallen in love with her message, like wouldn’t have drawn closer to Christ through her. Her witness and her mission. And that was just really cool to be like, no, it started with the, both of your yes. Right. It started with them having to say yes to form that domestic church, to be able to.
I have that example for it to be rooted in, not just for Therese, even if she was that young, but for all of their children. That we’re living, [00:25:00] living to be able. You know, to pass that on and. They also wanted to have a Josephite marriage at first. Yeah. That’s what I had heard too. Just like little things where they thought they’d be religious life. They thought they’d have Joe’s favorite. Like all these things that look like.
So many little doors that change that they kept saying yes to of what they expected. A beauty to just be open to life. And then. Not, I mean, but then have to go through that pain of losing the children after you decide. Yes, we’re going to have this. Be open to life in our marriage. And then. Lose children, but then to raise, you know, these beautiful women to enter.
The religious life and was, was Therese the youngest of the living children. Yeah, the youngest. Youngest of all the children in general, there was the last one to pass was a year or two before her. I believe. And then she was born. So she was just the last in general. There wasn’t any, there wasn’t another child after her.
Christy: I hope that I I’m excited because I think they were quite just canonized in 2015. Or something. Similar like [00:26:00] that. Yes in 2015 and October 18. And. I’m excited. Cause it’s not even been 10 years. That the more that we come out or find writings, or it gets more popular because like I said, I’m learning more about Zaley, but I’d love to find more about, you know, Louie and just the example that he had to be in. What did he do? Cause I think he was a watchmaker.
Grace: He gave out. That’s what I read today. So she, he was a watchmaker. She was a lace maker. And he gave up his watch making business cause her lace business was successful and he gave it up and he helped her run her business. When they first got married. Like how, just at that time counter cultural is that.
And have the woman run the business.
Christy: And I mean, that’s just not heard of, and, and now, you know, we see that more, you know, that dads are stay at home or women physicians with the husband at home, which is more, but like what I think that’s why they just are attractive to me is that it’s not like.
This is the way, and you just do it like how we were talking last week on the [00:27:00] podcast. About, well, if this worked for me, why isn’t that like a cookie cutter for everybody? But I think that’s the beauty of the saints in general. Like I was saying, it wasn’t like to be a Saint. You must do X, Y, and Z. And it looks like this and cookie cutters, one cookie cutter two cut, you know,
They’re all different and how totally different is this that he’s like, no, my wife’s career is taking off. I need to be supportive of that soil, work with her and I’ll help in the whole, like, however that. but it sounds like she was the primary breadwinner in that relationship. And. How. Odd that had to feel. I sometimes think of Noah, like God told me to build an arc and all these neighbors are like laughing and making fun. You do wonder back in that age, how carnal cultural that was for them to be going, you’re doing what you’re giving up your career to support your wife.
Like. How? Yeah, that’s pretty, pretty amazing too. That stands out in their relationship. I just. I hope we can find more that it becomes more. I [00:28:00] know I need to do my own digging, but that we can find even more about their life and their example for us to be able to follow, because I just think it’s.
Really cool that you have three saints in one family. With all these religious, with all their hardship. And that they just kept going. They were like, no, God’s God hasn’t given up on us. He hasn’t abandoned us. He is faithful. And we will just keep walking because our, our goal is to get one, another to have in our goal is to raise saints and get them to happen. And, and they have succeeded like how beautiful. Yeah.
Just beautiful as that. I don’t know. I just think it’s. Yeah. I get excited talking to him.
Grace: That’s just an inspiration like that. And their entire family, like. This in a, in an age where, I mean, the family has always been under attack, but even more so in this day and age, like. Just very comforting of like, it’s not like they’re this picture, perfect family. They had their hardships and they came through.
And. As we also [00:29:00] continue to have our hardships, like living in, like everyone’s born into a family, like no matter where you’ll go off to, you know, how hard it is to live in family, like the family life. And give of yourself, and serve of yourself, even if you’re not the parents. And then. That you know, that’s already hard enough and they’re such a good example. All those daughters and their parents, like just their model of family life. Like. And just to see it be successful.
Christy: Yes. I just, I don’t know. It’s just like, I don’t know. I just, all I can say is like, St. Louis and St. Zelie Martin. Pray for us. You know that we can follow your example. And just to, I don’t know, just be let on because it is, it’s just a witness. To this day and age, when I think you hit the nail on the head when the family is attacked, but here are these people. As fore runners, in this, that don’t look. Like, maybe they’re supposed to look and maybe that’s exactly what we need. I know that’s exactly what we need. You know, they’ve only been [00:30:00] canonized this long, and I know there’s a lot of, you know world marriage day or different marriage conferences that have taken them on as their patrons. And I think that’s just beautiful to bring recognition that. The goal of marriage is to get your spouse to heaven. And they obviously did that. And to use that and to elevate that. And say there is an example that this can be done even in the midst of really big things, really big hardships, but they obviously. You know, did what.
We are always even promoting on this podcast of just taking this as our ordinary life. This is what God is. Given us, even with our trials, even with huge sufferings, even with many different tribulations or crosses to bear. That we’re just going to live the life and we are going to bring and make it holy and sanctify it and make it extraordinary in the, in the daily way that we walk.
And how much, like for a single parent for Louie to say, I’m just going to move my family because we need help. We need support my, I lost my [00:31:00] wife and, and to be able to make that move. When he moved the family to Lisieux after his wife passed and. To be able to be humble enough to ask for help. I think in this day and age too, we’re just very much caught up. Like I can do it all I can do.
I just need me if I’m just stronger, if I’m just empowered enough and that’s where Terese says and goes, no, this, this is the little way. It’s the little things. It’s just the raising of the leg on the steps so that Jesus can come and help us. It’s us. Asking others for help and realizing that through our humility of asking them.
That it’s actually allowing them to love us through service. So many times I think of that, like with this whole surgery I’m recovering from, and the challenges I can’t. Do things for myself the same way I can’t. You know, when I was on crutches, full-time it’s like, I feel like I should be able to do this, but actually me being confident in asking for my needs is a way of serving my family by being clear.
But also allowing them to love me by saying, [00:32:00] yeah, of course we can do that for you. And if I can say that confidently without whining and complaining. It comes across a lot better and really allows their service to be more pure and more loving. And And that’s a lot for a man to say, no, I need help. And I’m gonna move my family here to be closer to others who can help me.
But what a beautiful example of allowing others to serve you, of being humble and. And being true of being a man or a woman who asked for what they need, because others can love you through that. The Lord can honor that through being, knowing what you need and how to request that. And just so many different, just daily, simple examples that we are so tangible for us today.
That can take from these people who lived. You know, 150 years before us. Like I just, yeah, that’s just awesome. So I don’t know. We could go on and on. Yeah. And so I just love them. They’re so cool. Like, so, I don’t know today, I [00:33:00] was just struck in a different way. Like I think last year is the first time I kind of noticed like, oh, it’s their feast day. Cause I don’t know. Sometimes you go.
Grace: My my so many, 20 years just kidding. Oh. But like all of the sudden, like I’m very aware of a feast and I’m like, it’s been around my whole life basically. Like, or maybe some of these newer Saints like this has been five years and I’m like, how have I not noticed it? Like, so I remember noticing it last year and just seeing it on the calendar.
It’s like, oh, that’s cool. And then this year, I just like. I was like looking forward to it. Like I kept seeing on the seeing it on the calandar, it was like next week’s their feast. And it just kept getting like, my attention just kept getting drawn to it. And that’s why I’m being around. Like, I swear the saints just stalk me cause they’re like, guess what?
Our feast day is next week.
Christy: Do you know there’s a novena for them too?
Grace: There’s a novena for every Saint.
Christy: I know that w yeah, but some are like more generic or not, but I meant to start that on like the second or the third of this.
Grace: On the feast day. You still start it now.
Christy: I should, I just found their feast day. I just thought it’s beautiful. Beautiful way to pray for marriage. A beautiful way to pray for vocations for.
Future spouses and she’s, I think she’s the patron Saint of, well, obviously lacemakers or seamstresses as [00:34:00] well as breast cancer. Yeah. So, I mean, there’s just so many. So many things. All the things, as we say.
Grace: I love finding, like, it’s just fun in general to find the patients saints of some weird things, or just very specific, unique things in your life that you do. And it’s like, there’s gotta be a patron Saint for this. Like I found out a year ago St. Matthew, which makes sense is the of accountants.
Which makes sense, because he was the tax collector. But like, you don’t think of that when you think of him, you’re like, oh, gospel writer, apostle, you know, like, and so I like go to him all the time. I’m like, I can’t figure this stupid equation out, help me out. And he helps me out and I always worked out.
But yeah, I just love finding those. Like, what are the unique parts of your life that aren’t common? Like, you know, things like that, like lace making and it’s like, okay, maybe if I’m in that business, she’s my patron. See for this. Now as I’m finishing school in my career, I’m like St. Matthew is my patient St. For school right now. And getting through your aunt St. Joseph, the worker, when I don’t want to work, I’ve been going to him. I’m like, how did you have motivation to keep working? Cause I just want to sit on my butt.
And that’s definitely, but like, I just love looking up. Patronage is like, it’s just very. Like it’s, [00:35:00] it’s just a reminder, I guess, of the body of Christ of like, you’re not the only one who’s gone through this thing, whatever it is, it could be even a fun thing, like, but like we’re coming up to August and there’s so many amazing saints too. And I was reading something else just about
Christy: Looking. At those saints that are out there. For the month, like, as you enter a new month of giving it to the Lord and saying, who, who do I want to follow? Or who, you know, what new novena do want to say or who do I want to look more into it? I’m like what a beautiful way to just learn. And I love that. Like with Catholic family crate, we do a lot of that for our little kids and they just highlight two saints two Saints.
Grace: They have the widgets on your iPhone now? Yeah. I’ll like put like saints that I know I’ll just for the month, I’ll like set up like, all right, I’ll switch it to their picture on there.
But sometimes I forget to change it for the day. So the next day I’ll like put up, I’ll be like, I’m celebrating it today. Cause I forgot yesterday. I’ll just have it up.
Christy: But it’s, I, I, there’s so many cool things like that where it’s like, well, just focus on these two. So it’s not like every day, which is aparent. Like you say, like you can do that thing for your widgets, or you can look up who is today. And I do like doing that, like on [00:36:00] halo or on.
Or they have like the Saint of the day and I loved that’s how I started doing that on Evangalizo reading the daily readings and reading about the Saint. And now. Doing Hallow more that you can do that and hear their little bio. So you’re aware of it, but I mean, we’re coming up on August and there’s a ton, like St. Ambrose St. Monica.
St. Augustan. It’s just like, like packed and with the
The assumption yes. Of the Virgin. Mary I’m, like, I always want to switch the word, but it, it’s just a beautiful that we can look at those things. That one in like October is a really power packed month of beautiful. And JP II and our lady of the rosary. Yeah. And it’s the month of our lady of the rosary.
So it’s just all those things that I, I think sometimes when we can just find. And is this month, sorry I was looking at this month. Saint Anne.
Grace: But there this month. Yeah. Joacim and Anne. So Mary’s parents, which are cool. Teresa. Benedicta of the Cross is in August. Maximum and Colby’s and August there’s a ton.
Our lady of Czestochowa. Yeah, I was [00:37:00] just giving a quick glance.
Christy: What are you on when you’re looking at that? Oh, you made a list.
We should put that in the show notes.
Grace: Yeah. It’s more like the, I looked up like the St feast days for like the whole year, which wasn’t every single day obviously, but I just was like, I know them. I know that I just picked out the ones that’s like, I, I don’t know if I’d have relationship because maybe it’s just like, I’ve heard of John Vianney because that’s one of the schools that came to Catholic central.
You know, things like that, like. And Patron Saint of priests. Exactly. Yeah. Patient Saint of priests, October. So guardian angels is an October. They love to know guardian angels. I thought was September. Oh no, they’re the second or first. Right? Before trust it’s. Archangels. Because technically fun fact, I think.
Christy: Gabe’s baptismal day is so close to that.
Grace: Oh, I know what it is. I think Terese died on September 30th. 31st was the last day of September 30th, 30th. But that’s the feast of Saint drew Rome, I want to say. So she got bumped to Oct. 1st I think I’m pretty sure that’s what funny fun facts. So it’s not actually [00:38:00] her death day.
Christy: Well, anyways, hopefully this brought to light. Two more amazing saints that we’ve really been trying to get to know and their whole family and how they can be.
Grace: An example for It’s Pauline. I love just their neighbors. Pretty it’s Paula. Her oldest is polling. And then. No Celine is the second youngest.
Leoni is in the middle and who’s the one I’m forgetting. I’m good. I feel awful. But just, I pray for the intercession and there. Canonization cause they’re amazing. It’s amazing to read what they did. And they did so much work for their sisters canonization. As well. Ah, why is this Marie? That’s what it is is the second oldest is Marie.
That’s dangerous. I just love them. And I love reading Teres like stories of just her interactions with her sisters. I’m like, I love that her parents are Canada is a love that trusses. Canonize, but I want them became nice. Cause. Yeah. The vocation of siblings. Siblings. Sometimes I’ve just how you support your siblings.
It’s like when you’re going through stuff, when you lose a parent, when like you, like you give. Of yourself in a certain way. You don’t pick that vocation, but just like, I. I just love reading all their sister [00:39:00] stuff of just.
Christy: Yeah. That’s what you do with siblings. Like you had. I had to rub. Each other and. Yeah. I mean that, yeah, definitely.
Grace: And especially as sisters, how they stepped in when the mother died and they were, you know, that mothering part to Therese and yeah. So I just loved reading that I’ve just their sibling interactions and how.
Yeah. They’re they’re just inspiring in that sense of, okay. I need to be a better sister than I am. Like. You know, That’s just what’s beautiful. Yeah. So they’re cool. Pray that they get canonized.
Christy: For the Martins. And hopefully you learned a little bit here and maybe it’ll inspire you to go and find that monthly St. You want to follow or dig into the Martins or maybe your own patron, Saint, your confirmation Saint.
Whoever you were named after, or just somebody who strikes you that. Who’s way of life. You’ve heard a little bit about that. You’re like, I want to go learn more. They want to be your friend, the saints. I just want to be our friends. And it’s not just our friends, but people we can pray for like,
Today again, I just found myself praying to my grandmother and God rest her soul. And I believe she’s in heaven and just be [00:40:00] like, You get our crazy family. Cause you were part of it. Like your blood is in my veins. So. Yes, I need your intercession and your help. And you, you. I get it. That was just like a tangible connection that helped today in my very broken prayer time with some very. Crazy children this morning but anyway.
Grace: Anytime like miscarried miscarriages are sad but anytime there is i’m just i love it because i’m like yeah that’s a built-in family member in heaven Yep. You. Like i just love that part where it’s like okay maybe it live on earth with us but you you’re just like great grandma but that’s even just in our generation just to be like this is my generation You. you get it like you’re my sibling and you’re like you know I mean, A lot of families have that And It’s a beautiful spin on You know loss.
Christy: I know it is that you have saints that are there already so yeah. All right I know it’s getting cold, the sun’s going down but it’s been a beautiful, but we had some wine and it’s a beautiful.
Grace: You sound like Marvel. We can do we can do banter at the end but marvel, Cause anytime they try to chill Sun’s going down.[00:41:00]
Christy: I don’t think I have any Hulk-ness in me.
Grace: I just watched Ragnorak like two days ago and Thor tries to calm Hulk down and he’s always says sun’s going down sounds good and it looks like well, you just leave me alone like it’s just funny anyways so that was fresh in my head. when you said that
Christy: Hulk Smash!
Grace: That’s funny. well all the things as we always say!
Yeah do all the things the subscribing the rating and the reviewing the Follow us On instagram and facebook and emailing us at Thanks Mom podcast.
Christy: And checking out our page on christinambrown.com. Our podcast page on there. Underscore underscore M. underscore, underscore Brown On instagram yes so could do all of those things we would love to work with you we’d love to have you as a guest And we’re always open to our suggestions
Grace: Go. What what in the dang heck cause mom got put. But on
As a little shout out The What in the dang Heck podcast
Christy: It posted on the 11th of july so there’s a little shout out there and i’ll have a couple more podcasts i’ve been And Yeah a bunch of different podcasts will be coming [00:42:00] out probably i think one on the 29th. so next week we’ll probably shout that out A couple of august. But but you can always connect with me on christinambrown.com for a Great. Discovery call i’d love to connect with you and walk with you or work with your event if you’re looking for catholic speakers and anytime either way we look forward to talking to you next time on The Thanks Mom podcast
Bye!!