Great Wives & Mothers!

I bought this book, Great Wives and Mothers by Hugh Francis Blunt at the last conference that I went to in April. Really the best word that I can use to describe this book is WOW. You can read it for free online .

I never read a book where I have learn so much about our Church great Saints. I did not know how many saints we have and all that in the book are women, so just to think of it plus men.. WOW! (there is that word again!).

To name a few, St. Sabina, 1st Christian matron of whom we have record among the martyrs, in the year 126, St. Perpetua, St. Marth 270 , St. Juitta who was denounced by her neighbor for being a Christian died by fire but the flames did not harm her body., says these words:
May my estates perish, or be disposed of to strangers, may I also lose my life, and may this body be cut in pieces, rather than that by the least impious word I should offend the God that made me. If you take from me a little portion of the earth, I shall gain heaven for it!"


How about these couples, St. Chrysanthus and St. Daria or St. Melania and her husband Pinianus or St. Fabiola (400) a women that divorce her 1st husband and married another man even while her 1st husband was living. On the day before Easter her 2nd husband dies and she does public penance for offense and was received back into the church.

In the book, he has a full chapter on St. Monica and St. Rita. On a side note, St. Augustine showed in his book On the Good of Marriage, that there have been many married women who have surpassed many virgins in sanctity.

Mr. Blunt writes a very important point here that goes very well with the teachings of St.Josemaria, " Whatever the condition of life, God can sanctify it... When all in their heart know that God will come to dwell in their cottage or in their palace, if they but invite him"

I really enjoy reading about The Queen Saints such as St. Helena a innkeeper whom married a roman general who ends up being a great Roman Emperor in the year 292, Also St. Clotilda, Queen of the Franks, St. Sexburga an English queen, St. Matilda a Germany queen around the year 918 to name a few. I never heard of these inspiring saints. It was very pleasing to read about Queen Isabella the Catholic (which I knew about). "A great queen, indeed, a great wife, a great mother, and all this because she was first of all a great Catholic...""

Then I read about St. Jane Frances de Chantal (1572) as Mr. Blunt writes, " But of all Christian mothers, there is none so strikingly human and at the same time so thoroughly spiritual, as the great wife and mother, a women who lived on earth and in heave at one and the same time." Can I say, Wow.. again!

Every time, I put the book down, I feel encourage and inspired to do a better job as a wife and mother for God is calling me as He called all of those Saints and as He calls you, to be Saints!