About This Blog

This blog sprang forth from some brainstorming I was doing one day as I was repairing a statue of the Infant of Prague for a woman from my parish. It was a statue that she had received from her grandmother.  It had been in pieces for close to seventy years. His head was broken from His body and both of His hands were gone, as well as the small globe He was holding. His gown was torn and stained…after so many years, it was a mess. And yet, she had carried it with her every time she moved hoping that one day it could be repaired. Anyway, as I was working, I was thinking of a way in which I could spend more time growing spiritually closer to the Lord. Trying to find my path to heaven as it were. As I was there molding a hand to attach to baby Jesus’ body, I thought of all the old statues I see at the thrift-stores… the secondhand stores that I so often frequent. These once beautiful statues had been neglected and were in need of repair. So many of them had adorned home altars and had been used for prayer. But were now looked on as ‘junk.’ It was a sad thought, but it I inspired me, actually I like to think that God inspired me through these old statues that could be made ‘new again’. That somehow, I too could share with readers all that I had learned from the countless saints that the Holy Mother Church now recognizes as being with God in heaven, that somehow these old paths could be made new again.

Later, as I sat there looking at the Infant of Prague, trying to decide if I should make a new head or somehow reattach the old one, I realized that refashioning the old one would be better, it would be more in line with the original statue… it would flow better…and yes, it would be a far superior piece than any I could make on my own. I could just smooth out the rough edges and reuse the broken head with the crown. I attached a piece of wire by drilling into the old head and the body. I fit a piece of wire snugly inside with glue. After it dried I attached the head and fit it as best I could. Of course, I would have to spend time sanding the edges and smoothing out the rough spots, to make it seamless… but that is where the struggle always lies, in doing the small things with great care and dedication to the detail…  not skimping on our tasks… regardless of how simple they may seem…

I thought about the saints and their paths. Their fool proof methods of attaining holiness. I realized right then that I did not have to reinvent the wheel. The game plans had already been written. Many saints throughout different periods of time have found their way, and many of them have written countless books on how we can do the same. Without having to go and blaze a new trail to sanctity, we could borrow and reuse … these secondhand ideas of the saints and by following their footsteps, we could make them our own paths as well. After all, we know where they wound up … in Heaven! And that is how this humble little blog began. By simply borrowing the great ideas from the saints and somehow trying to implement them in my daily plans. Hence the name secondhandsaintsblog was sprung and I hoped that others would be just as fascinated by their stories, by  their journeys and do the same. The pictures are of the statue that I repaired. It is not perfect, but it is a far cry from what it had been, and yes, the woman was very pleased with how He turned out and has placed Him in a prominent spot in her home. After all that is precisely where Jesus belongs.