POINTSOFVIEW | FAITH UNPACKED Finding Your Saint
By David Dault, PhD
David Dault, PhD
David hosts the weekly radio show Things Not Seen: Conversations about Culture and Faith. He also cohosts the Francis Effect podcast with Father Dan Horan, OFM. He lives with his family on the South Side of Chicago. Want a certain topic covered? Send us your request. E-MAIL:
FaithUnpacked@ FranciscanMedia.org MAIL:
Faith Unpacked 28 W. Liberty St. Cincinnati, OH 45202 PODCAST:
The Francis Effect podcast can be streamed live at FrancisFXPod.com.
few weeks ago on Twitter, a friend who is In other words, “Fake it till you make it.” becoming Catholic asked, “How do you Years later, I encountered this wisdom pick out your saint?” There were lots of good again when I started attending a 12-Step responses. I added mine, saying that, in my meeting as part of my journey of recovery limited experience, it’s a mutual process. You from the family dynamics of alcoholism. Like might be looking for a saint, but the saint is Aristotle, the literature encouraged us to “act also looking for you. as if ” we were sane, self-reliant, and patient— That was certainly what happened between in the hope that we might, over time, come to me and my patron, St. Genesius of Rome, embody these things. patron of actors, thieves, lawyers, and indiTime after time, each step toward healviduals with epilepsy. ing for me has followed this route: I start According to many sources, from the outside and work the Genesius was a comedic balm inside. Because I believe actor living during the third anything worth doing is worth century, a time when the doing badly, I go through the Church was undergoing motions until I figure out persecution from an emperor how to “be” the better, more named Diocletian. Genesius grounded version of me. was part of a troupe putting Faith was like that. Having on a play mocking Christians, been raised an atheist, I felt and he went through a “mock” every hymn and every act of Baptism on stage. worship as alien. It took time Regardless of its mocking and repetition to work the intent, the Holy Spirit was at habits of prayer and praise into work. Genesius emerged from my body. As the habits deepthe ritual, claiming that he ened, so did my faith. was now a real Christian, and began testifying to the lordA PERFECT PAIRING ship of Jesus Christ. At first When I was reconciling to the amused, Diocletian realized he Catholic Church in my midwas serious and sent him to be 30s, I was in the same position tortured. Genesius maintained as my friend on Twitter. I was his newfound faith to the end, looking for a patron, with no and the emperor had him idea how to find one. So, one beheaded. day I went to a Catholic bookFrom method actor to store and found a book about St. Genesius of Rome Christian martyr, Genesius a bunch of saints. I closed my fascinated me from the eyes, said a prayer, and opened moment I learned his story. For much longer to a random page. than I was looking for him, however, Genesius There he was. As I read the description, I had his eye on me. realized I would not have even known how to find so perfect a fit on my own. Having a patron saint is a kind of relationWORK IN PROGRESS Back when I was an undergraduate phiship. My walk with Genesius these years has losophy major, one of the first books I was reaffirmed that my imperfect initial attempts assigned to read was Aristotle’s Nichomachean at faith and virtue will be rewarded over time Ethics. It’s an ancient text about how to live a if I “keep coming back.” The habits of goodgood life. For Aristotle, this goodness does not ness grow from the outside in when you “act as if.” begin with our desires, but with our actions. We become virtuous if, over time, we act in Genesius of Rome and all the saints, pray for us! virtuous ways.
TOP LEFT: PHOTO COURTESY OF CHICAGO SUNDAY EVENING CLUB/KHIEM TRAN; CENTER: WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
A
14 • August 2019 | StAnthonyMessenger.org
Faith UnP 0819.indd 14
6/28/19 12:10 PM