Saints like Saint Anthony had no computer, no phone, not even electric lights – none of the modern conveniences that are aids to learning – yet they managed to achieve great knowledge and wisdom. This knowledge was not infused into them; they studied and prayed consistently. They learned how to speak new languages, to write their thoughts and insights down, and to correctly express the truths of the Catholic faith. They never gave up on their desire to grow closer to God and to help others do the same. And they did so with humility, never trying to draw attention to themselves.

The world today is literally at our fingertips. If you don’t know something, you can search for it on the internet. A wealth of knowledge comes right up, and we can access it as quickly as pressing a few buttons on our phone. Previous generations have had to work much harder to find the same information we have available to us so easily. Shouldn’t this easy access give us more ability to learn our Catholic faith? 

There are abundant resources available to learn about the Saints, the Sacraments and the doctrines of our faith. All of these will help us in our journey of faith formation. Pope Benedict XVI, in an address during the Year of Faith (2012-2013), reminded the faithful it is our duty to continue to grow and learn and spread the faith:

What is faith? Does faith still make sense in a world in which science and technology have unfolded horizons unthinkable until a short time ago? What does believing mean today? In fact, in our time we need a renewed education in the faith that includes, of course, knowledge of its truths and of the history of salvation, but that is born above all from a true encounter with God in Jesus Christ, from loving him, from trusting him, so that the whole of our life becomes involved.

We must also ask ourselves, whether we are making our faith formation a priority in our lives. Like the Saints, we must never give up. We can study doctrine and learn about the lives of the Saints. Articles, webinars, podcasts, Catholic television and even good old-fashioned books are just some of the ways that we can easily access spiritual information. 

We must make the time to reflect on what we need to do to become beacons in what is sometimes a dark world. Everything in life that is worthwhile takes time and effort, as the lives of the Saints aptly demonstrates. We can honor their lives by making ours one of true faith and evangelization.