I Love to Tell the Story... for those who know it best ... it seems each time I tell it

In 1987, the book was everywhere. Americans anxious to prove their level of cultural literacy bought the book and studied it like a textbook. E.D. Hirsch, Jr. had hit a nerve with his book Cultural Literacy: What Every American Needs to Know.

To be honest, I bought the book Ten Dates Every Catholic Should Know for the very same reason. As a new convert, I wanted to know everything Diane Moczar could tell me about Catholic history, not because I like history. I don’t. I knew I needed to know the important accomplishments of the Church that I claimed as my Church. So, I read the book. I still can’t tell you the names and dates and places. I have never had an aptitude for that. But I do have an aptitude for storytelling. And Church history is about storytelling. Each saint has a story, and each story tells the same thing over and over. Real people become saints.

They’ve done it throughout all history. That tells me that I can figure it out too, if I just keep saying yes to grace. (Some days are harder than others.)

The dates don’t matter very much. The names of places are forgettable, too.

But the lives of the saints tell the divine story. Be holy as Our Lord is holy. Impossible, you say? We know it's possible. The lives of the saints prove it.