Single Saints for your journey- Part 2
St. Praxedes
She was single.
She was madly in love with God and led a holy and exemplary life.
She had a sense of purpose and mission that inspired others around her.
Who was this ordinary yet inspiring young woman who not only survived but celebrated her season of singleness?
I hope you’ll journey with me as I discover her secrets to truly embodying what it means to be a Happy Single Catholic.
St Praxedes was a beautiful Roman maiden whose story dates back to the 2nd century when the first Christians were being tortured and killed by the Roman Emperor, Marcus Antonius.
Instead of worrying about palace parties, gossip and men like her peers, she sacrificed all her free time to helping the Christians.
She cared for them by offering food, money, prayers and words of consolation.
She would sometimes even risk her own life by letting them hide in her home and would even give the Christian martyrs proper burials.
Her life was a living testament of being a servant of Christ and steeped in both corporal and spiritual acts of mercy.
However the time came when she could no longer bear to see the sufferings of His people.
She implored God to take her home to heaven.
There is some debate over whether she died a martyr, since it was such a long time ago, but we know that she was granted her wish and now is enjoying the glory of heaven.
What can we learn from this remarkable young woman?
From her example we can see that life can be full of purpose when we are single if we focus on serving others.
St. Praxedes used her unique femininity and individual gifts to nurture those around her.
Her life was so full that a missing relationship was probably not at the forefront of her mind.
If we would use our time to truly love others, we would see how much more joyful our single life would become.
When our thoughts no longer revolve around how we feel or the fact that we don’t have a boyfriend, and rather focus on “How can I cheer up a friend today?” or “How can I show the light of Christ to someone who needs it today?”, we will be able to find true Christlike joy.
As we don’t have a husband or children, this is the best time to pour into the lives of others without restraint.
As St. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 7:34,
“An unmarried woman or virgin is concerned about the Lord’s affairs: her aim is to be devoted to the Lord in both body and spirit. But a married woman is concerned about the affairs of this world.”
It is important to be intentional about this.
Be sure to take time in prayer to ask the Lord to show you how He would like you to serve.
You might have to be a little more creative during these Coronavirus times and extra attentive to the Holy Spirit!
Sometimes it could be as simple as doing extra chores if you live at home with your family to lessen the burden of the other members.
If you live alone, this could be visiting lonely or elderly relatives regularly and patiently listening to their complaints with compassion instead of being distracted on your phone.
There may be opportunities to serve in your parish or to join one of the many Catholic charities, such as St. Vincent De Paul.
I personally recommend the Legion of Mary, where members are given weekly duties of visiting elderly homes and hospitals with a partner.
They then report on the work done, pray the rosary, receive spiritual formation and discuss important matters during weekly meetings.
See if you can find one in your area, it is truly an opportunity to be a soldier for Mary and Jesus!
Be sure to ask our Mother to give you the charity that she had when she brought Jesus to her cousin Elizabeth, and you will be well on your way to becoming a modern St Praxedes.
I hope you enjoyed learning about this amazing woman as much as I did.
Stay tuned for part 3 as we discover even more single saints to help us on our journey.