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About This Series of Four Volume:
If dem make list of the greatest human beings wey don ever live, the saints for this series of four volume go dey the top. Even though historians dey often try judge greatness according to their own personal view, clear standards must dey wey no depend on personal opinion, wey dem go use judge how great person be. Na only God fit set those standards. The standards wey God don set na the virtues wey Jesus identify and reveal through the holy Gospels.
The aim of this series of four volume na to present each saint wey dey the Catholic liturgical kalenda (as Solemnity, Feast, abi Memorial) in a way wey go show the godly virtues wey put each one for that list. The Church don already confirm the greatness of the saints and the heroic way wey dem practise virtues. One important thing be say God choose the men and women wey dey these pages, no be only to be great during their own lifetime, but also to be examples of holiness for our own time. These men and women na gifts to you, wey God give through the Church.
Every saint get something wey make am different, but all saints still resemble one another because each one become living witness to Christ and the Gospels for a world wey need help. Some saints join themselves to God through martyrdom, some through virginity and chastity, some through works of love, and some through life of deep prayer. The saints come from every culture, every social and economic background, every level of education, and every kind of personality. God dey shine through every saint, as He dey spread His abundant mercy through their different ways of life. For the end, no be their personality, wetin dem prefer, their gifts, or any other special qualities dey unite them as the one communion of saints. Na God, and only God, dey fill their souls completely and join them together as one song of praise to God’s eternal glory.
Why you go read about the saints? Why you go learn about their lives? Why you go think deeply about wetin dem talk and do? The answer simple. God dey call you to dey among them. He dey call you to become holy as dem be, make His grace transform you, and make you spread that grace for the world today.
At first, e fit look like say you no fit reach the virtues of the saints. The saints fit look like people wey pass ordinary human beings. The truth be say the saints become fully human as dem become the people wey God create them to be. Dem reject the devil’s deceit, the things wey the world dey use lure people, and the weaknesses of the flesh. Instead, dem discover God’s truths, seek the riches of Heaven, and become full of the strength of every virtue.
As you dey read about the lives of the saints, think deeply about their words and actions, study the heroic way wey dem practise virtues, and learn from their life of prayer, allow their example no be only to inspire you, but also to make you desire to follow their example. Nothing dey stop you from being counted among the saints for Heaven. God promise to pour on you every grace wey you need to follow that holy path. Na only when you refuse His grace that mission no go succeed.
How to Use These Books
Three ways dey wey person fit read this series of four volume. First, dem arrange am according to the liturgical year. The saints and feast dem wey dey these volumes na the ones wey dey the General Roman Kalenda (the kalenda for the whole Church), together with the extra ones wey concern United States specifically. So, the way dem arrange these volumes dey help the reader learn about the saints and feast dem with prayer as the Church dey celebrate them throughout the year.
The second way to use this book na to look up the feast and saint dem according to alphabetical order. The third way to use this book na to use a list wey dem arrange according to time for the saints and feast dem. For people wey wan use these volumes for study, this arrangement according to time dey very suitable. As you trace the history of the Church from the very beginning, century by century, you go understand more clearly how the Holy Spirit guide the Church through the different periods of history, politics, and culture up till today. We go talk more about this way of following the order of time later for this Introduction.
The Liturgical Year and the General Roman Kalenda
The liturgical year itself na precious gift to the Church. Dem arrange the feasts wey come from Scripture according to how the events happen, so that every year, we fit waka through the whole mystery of salvation. We dey begin with Advent, when we dey reflect deep on the first coming of Christ, and on His final coming when time go end. During Advent, we dey reflect deep on the pregnancy of the Blessed Mother and everything wey lead to Jesus’ birth. The Christmas Octave dey give us eight days to celebrate the glorious birth of Christ for Bethlehem, and e dey end with the Solemnity of the Mother of God on January 1 for the new calendar year. During that octave, we also dey honour the Holy Innocents, wey King Herod shed their blood, and the Holy Family wey live together for love for Nazareth. The Christmas season short, and e include Epiphany, when the Magi from the East come honour the newborn King.
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord na feast wey mark the movement from Jesus’ hidden life for Nazareth to His public ministry, wey we dey reflect on during Ordinary Time. Ordinary Time dey bring before us the many teachings wey our Lord give and the miracles wey He do during the three years before His death and resurrection.
Lent dey give us chance to join our Lord for forty days for desert and to turn away from sin and temptation. Holy Week dey begin with His triumphant entry into Jerusalem, when the people shout, “Hosanna to the Son of David; blessing dey on the person wey come in the name of the Lord; hosanna for the highest” (Matthew 21:9). Throughout the week, we dey reflect deep on how the scribes and Pharisees dey turn more and more against Jesus, how He establish the Most Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday, His great anguish for the garden, His arrest, how dem question Him, and how dem put Him for prison. On Good Friday, we dey reflect with prayer on the trial wey dem pretend to give Jesus, how dem flog Him, sentence Him to death, and nail Him to the cross. Holy Saturday dey commemorate Jesus’ sleep for the tomb and how He descend go meet the dead. On Easter Sunday, we dey begin the eight-day celebration of Jesus’ Resurrection, wey reach im highest point with the Solemnity of Divine Mercy Sunday, wey still be fairly new celebration. Throughout the Easter Season, we dey continue to reflect deep on how He appear to people after His resurrection. Forty days after Easter, we dey celebrate His Ascension into Heaven, and fifty days after Easter, we dey celebrate how the Holy Spirit pour out fully, wey bring the Church to life for Pentecost.
When the Easter Season finish, we dey return to Ordinary Time, and straightaway we dey celebrate some glorious feasts wey their meaning pass the limits of time—the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity, the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, and the Memorial of the Immaculate Heart of Mary. As Ordinary Time dey continue, we dey rejoice in the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and how dem crown her Queen of Heaven and Earth. During this period, we also dey celebrate other mysteries of our faith, like the Triumph of the Cross, the Feast of the Archangels, All Saints’ Day, and All Souls’ Day.
The last Sunday for Ordinary Time dey draw our attention to the glorious and final things wey go come—the Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe. This last solemnity for the liturgical year dey turn our attention to the Second Coming of Christ and the New Heavens and New Earth. As you dey use this book to help you reflect on these glorious celebrations wey dey happen every year, dem dey invite you to reflect deep on the full mystery of the history of salvation, and to thank God for His grace and His invitation to joy wey no go ever end.
The Saints for the Liturgical Year
The way dem arrange the saints for the liturgical year dey mainly follow important dates for their lives. Dem dey honour many saints on the day wey dem die. For some others, dem choose one particular day because, for other reasons, that day get special meaning for their life.
Even though e important to celebrate the saints on the days wey dem assign to each one for the liturgical year, e also dey helpful to reflect on their lives according to the time and the things wey dey happen when dem live. The second appendix for the back of this book dey help people wey want learn more about how the Church don develop since e begin for Pentecost. Na the Holy Spirit don dey guide the Church, and He still dey guide the Church through the ministry of the saints.
For people wey go like study the history of the Church, especially how the Holy Spirit still dey guide our Church leaders, the lives of the saints na the guide wey people fit trust pass. Appendix Two for the back of this book dey especially for people wey want use prayer take reflect on how God don lead the Church through both times of glory and times of serious trouble. For every age, God don raise people wey bring reform, martyrs, mystics, and teachers to meet the particular needs of that age. When we reflect on the saints according to the order of the time wey dem live, e dey help us see some periods for the history of the Church wey bear plenty fruit, when God work for special way, dey call His people to live life wey holy for special way. For people wey want use prayer take reflect on how the Holy Spirit don intervene for the history of the Church according to the order wey things happen, the introduction for Appendix Two go help.
No matter the approach wey you choose, make we pray make God guide you as you dey prepare to use prayer take reflect on the feast days and saints of the liturgical year. Through wetin dem write and the example wey dem show, the saints dey among the greatest teachers of our faith. And the celebrations of the mysteries of our salvation wey come from Scripture dey necessary for us to understand God love for us and the work wey He still dey do for our lives. Make God bless you as you dey read about the heroes of our faith and how our Lord and His Blessed Mother change humanity through the holy way wey dem intervene and transform human life.
Saints of God, una don dey live for Heaven now, fully united with una God wey love una. When una dey here for earth, una face the many challenges of life with courage and faithfulness. As una dey look my soul from Heaven, abeg, pray for me with all una heart. Pray make I learn to follow the example of una virtues, discover true prayer, and love and do God will reach the same high level wey una reach. I want become holy. I want make every virtue fill me. I want make God love and mercy shine through my life. I want become one with our God wey love us. I want become saint. Saints of God, pray for me, pray for all the people wey dey struggle through this life, and pray for those wey dey endure their final purification after death. Saints of God, pray for us. Jesus, na You I trust.
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