Stop Playing It Safe
“of or relating to a root.” When Christ and his
An excerpt from
path, a path people have struggled to walk for
Radical Saints: 21 Women for the 21st Century
teachings are our foundation, we are on a radical more than two thousand years. Think about it:
by Melanie Rigney
Is there anything more radical than loving God
R
as yourself? Society encourages us to worship
adical. The word makes us, well, itchy. We think of people whose political beliefs are at
with your entire being and loving your neighbor money, status, prestige, and more. Putting God
one end of the spectrum or the other, people who
before any of that? Before our own spouses,
won’t compromise or collaborate, maybe even
parents, children, friends, all those people we love
people who foster revolutions that upset entire
and would do anything for? And how about loving
nations.
those who look different from us or who have
How in the world could a group of women,
betrayed us, injured us, or persecuted us simply
ranging in age from nine to ninety-three at their
because we’re told God loves them every bit as
deaths, women formally canonized by the Catholic
much as he loves us.
Church for heroic virtues and associated miracles,
Now that’s radical.
be considered radical?
“I came to bring fire to the earth, and how
Because being a Christian is radical. The word radical comes from the Latin radicalis, meaning
I wish it were already kindled!” Jesus told the disciples (Luke 12:49). These women, from Dulce
F r a nc isc anMedia.org
11
