Penitent Sinners Who Offered Their Lives To Christ And Became Saints

[BarbTherese]

It can be very difficult and a real spiritual trial to feel the weight of one's own sinfulness - even that sinfulness that lay in the past and validly confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; therefore, God has not only forgiven but He has forgotten too.  One is restored to that place spiritually as if one had never sinned in the first place and this is our sound Catholic Theology on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Even though one may know all of this intellectually there can be realization of what one has done, something of what sin actually is, especially as one grows closer to God.    Not always, but sometimes spiritual direction can increase the suffering from the sheer inability to explain what one is actually going through - although I tend to think that today there is more insight into it with spiritual directors who are  experienced and well trained.

Such spiritual suffering can eke out a place within where humility in truth can find rich soil and flower.  And St Albert tell us that humility is the foundation for all the other virtues.  Holiness is all about growing in virtue.

Such suffering is not about God and forgiveness, it is really about forgiving oneself, closing the door and walking on as if nothing at all had happened, for this is the truth of matters theologically.

St Francis of Assisi, St Ignatius of Loyola and also St Augustine all had quite a 'past' and went on to be great saints indeed.

Luke Ch18

And to some who trusted in themselves as just, and despised others, he spoke also this parable: [10] Two men went up into the temple to pray: the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.

[11] The Pharisee standing, prayed thus with himself: O God, I give thee thanks that I am not as the rest of men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, as also is this publican. [12] I fast twice in a week: I give tithes of all that I possess. [13] And the publican, standing afar off, would not so much as lift up his eyes towards heaven; but struck his breast, saying: O God, be merciful to me a sinner. [14] I say to you, this man went down into his house justified rather than the other: because every one that exalteth himself, shall be humbled: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted.

[Vin]

Sts. Peter and Paul

St. John of God

[BarbTherese]

Book: "Saints Behaving Badly"  (Thomas J. Crauwell) http://www.amazon.com/Saints-Behaving-Badly-Cutthroats-Devil-Worshippers/dp/0385517203

"Saints are not born, they are made. And many, as Saints Behaving Badly reveals, were made of very rough materials indeed. The first book to lay bare the less than saintly behavior of thirty-two venerated holy men and women, it presents the scandalous, spicy, and sleazy detours they took on the road to sainthood.

In nineteenth- and twentieth-century writings about the lives of the saints, authors tended to go out of their way to sanitize their stories, often glossing over the more embarrassing cases with phrases such as, “he/she was once a great sinner.” In the early centuries of the Church and throughout the Middle Ages, however, writers took a more candid and spirited approach to portraying the saints. Exploring sources from a wide range of periods and places, Thomas Craughwell discovered a veritable rogues gallery of sinners-turned-saint. There’s St. Olga, who unleashed a bloodbath on her husband’s assassins; St. Mary of Egypt, who trolled the streets looking for new sexual conquests; and Thomas Becket, who despite his vast riches refused to give his cloak to a man freezing to death in the street.

Written with wit and respect (each profile ends with what inspired the saint to give up his or her wicked ways) and illustrated with amusing caricatures, Saints Behaving Badly will entertain, inform, and even inspire Catholic readers across America."

Edited April 25, 2015 by BarbaraTherese

[Spem in alium]

The simple answer to your question is all of them.

 

That may sound strange, but just remember: there is not one person who has ever lived who did not need Christ's blood on Calvary. He had to die for the St Thereses of this world as well as for the St Augustines. (Augustine's prayer used to be, "Lord, make me chaste, just not yet!") No one's life is made less valuable to God because of what they may or may not have done in the past. Remember Jesus' parable of the workers in the vineyard - they all got paid just as much, the ones who arrived last and the ones who arrived first. That is because they all gave just as much, even though the ones who arrived to work first struggled to see that. Sometimes people who are very ashamed of themselves struggle to see it too - they don't understand why they would be worth as much as someone who hasn't done the particular bad things that they did. But God uses a different standard and it takes all our faith to know that. We must pray for our faith to increase, so we can see it always.

​Beautiful response!

One person who stands out quite strongly to me in terms of reconciling a desire for religious life and for Jesus with past sins is Thomas Merton. He has offered me much.

 

Edited April 25, 2015 by Spem in alium

[MarysLittleFlower]

Most Catholic Saints were Priests and Nuns. Its easy for them to be saints, especially if they were young when they dedicated their lives to Christ. Its hard to relate to them. Its  like an obese person aspiring to  runway-modeldom.  Dorothy Day and Matt Talbot were not Religious. They were people who lived in the twentieth century. Matt was an alcoholic. Dorothy had bad taste in men and had an abortion. How inspiring they are today.

​I see what you are saying, what happens though if someone had a terrible past and then wants to be a nun?

[MarysLittleFlower]

Another saint that was not mentioned on here is the one that I have for the patron saint of the year - St. Margaret of Cortona.  She was a Third Order Franciscan who converted from her former way of life. 

Margaret's mother died when she was very young and her father remarried.  Her stepmother despised her and treated her poorly.  She left her father's house when she was very young and lived with a nobleman and had a child out of wedlock.  Her lover was killed and she realized that her life was not what she wanted it to be.  She tried to return home, but her stepmother did not agree with her choices and did not want the child living in her home.  Margaret felt a call to become devoted to Christ, so she and her son went to the nearby Franciscan friary where she put herself entirely in the hands of the friars.  She gained a spiritual director and was clothed in the TOR habit.  She experienced mystic visions of Christ and was often in ecstasy over the visions.  She is one of the incorruptible saints, too.  You can find more about her here:

http://www.roman-catholic-saints.com/saint-margaret-of-cortona.html

​Thanks for sharing about her! I really like this Saint a lot.

[MarysLittleFlower]

It can be very difficult and a real spiritual trial to feel the weight of one's own sinfulness - even that sinfulness that lay in the past and validly confessed in the Sacrament of Reconciliation; therefore, God has not only forgiven but He has forgotten too.  One is restored to that place spiritually as if one had never sinned in the first place and this is our sound Catholic Theology on the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Even though one may know all of this intellectually there can be realization of what one has done, something of what sin actually is, especially as one grows closer to God.    Not always, but sometimes spiritual direction can increase the suffering from the sheer inability to explain what one is actually going through - although I tend to think that today there is more insight into it with spiritual directors who are  experienced and well trained.

Such spiritual suffering can eke out a place within where humility in truth can find rich soil and flower.  And St Albert tell us that humility is the foundation for all the other virtues.  Holiness is all about growing in virtue.

Such suffering is not about God and forgiveness, it is really about forgiving oneself, closing the door and walking on as if nothing at all had happened, for this is the truth of matters theologically.

St Francis of Assisi, St Ignatius of Loyola and also St Augustine all had quite a 'past' and went on to be great saints indeed.

​Good points!! I agree.

[MarysLittleFlower]

Thanks for bringing back this thread!

[OnlySunshine]

​Thanks for sharing about her! I really like this Saint a lot.

​That's why I like to draw a random saint at the start of every liturgical year.  I knew nothing of St. Margaret, but I found it very cool that she was a Third Order Franciscan as I want to be a Secular Franciscan. 

[BarbTherese]

A response by Fr. Vincent Serpa OP (Apologist on Catholic Answers) http://50.22.108.14/showthread.php?s=bb9090e1bf4cc5d6b286e4422417ece6&t=557218

 

Hi,

There are many reasons that can disqualify a woman from being accepted into a novitiate, but being a sinner is not one of them. What a woman confesses in the sacrament is between her and God. When she is absolved, she is without sin. There have been many great sinners who have become holy nuns. You are correct.



Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.

__________________
Recent apologetics answers by Fr. Vincent Serpa

---

 Sometimes a religious order has their own unique impediments to entering their order.  Hence it would be wise to ask a particular order in which one has interest whether there are any impediments applying to their life.

As Father has stated, there are canonical impediments to religious life.  Some I can think of is if a women is still married or divorced. If a woman has a child or children dependant on her still.  If one is not a baptised Catholic.  There might be other canonical impediments too that other members can think of and post. .

I am unsure on this point, but I do not think it is necessary to reveal the actual details of one's past.  If one is asked if one has lived a good life, it would be sufficient to state that "No I have not, but have made a full Confession and am very sorry. I have lived a good life for the past....(x number)......of years" or similar.

 

[seamoylantd]

You wouldn't be the first. St Margaret of Cortona.

[seamoylantd]

Look I think the best thing to do, would be for you to go to Confession. Vocation or no vocation, you obviously feel bad about your past and its stopping you from moving on. Crystalina Evert has an excellent ministry in this area. You should watch her YouTube videos.

[NadaTeTurbe]

Bx Charles de Foucault lived a sinful life, I read that it was so terrible that it's why they can't have him as a saint ? 

I can feel you, Mary, because I have a past too. TWe have to trust God and the power of the Sacrament of Confession ! He is full of mercy ! 

[MarysLittleFlower]

Look I think the best thing to do, would be for you to go to Confession. Vocation or no vocation, you obviously feel bad about your past and its stopping you from moving on. Crystalina Evert has an excellent ministry in this area. You should watch her YouTube videos.

Oh I've gone to Confession​ for all this! that's not the issue and I don't feel unforgiven. I just feel unworthy. Thanks for bringing up Crystallina Evert, I like her videos too.

[MarysLittleFlower]

Bx Charles de Foucault lived a sinful life, I read that it was so terrible that it's why they can't have him as a saint ? 

I can feel you, Mary, because I have a past too. TWe have to trust God and the power of the Sacrament of Confession ! He is full of mercy ! 

Very true about God's mercy! I think my difficulty is not doubting forgiveness but feeling unworthy of religious life / sanctity. Regarding Charles De Foucault I actually know nothing about him but I'd say even if someone was very sinful but then turned around, they can still be canonized? I mean - St Augustine is an example...