causes of saints

The rush to canonize Mother Teresa continues as the Vatican attributes a miracle to her. Nobody is saying anything bad, and why should they? This woman was a living saint, after all. Perhaps I am the only person discomfitted by all the ruckus. Not because I hold anything against the old dear, but because when I think of Mother Teresa, a completely sacriligious context appears in my mind. You see, when I scattered my wild oats as a younger man, I'd visualize the Indian nun during the times I when I didn't want things on my part to end in blissful release. And so now when I think of her, I immediately associate her visage, stooped and caring, with a completely different connotation of the term "missionary". I know, sick ennit?

The other person the Opus Dei are rushing to canonize is Escriva-of-the-long-name. If he becomes a Saint, then he sets the record for the fastest Saint ever to go through the causes of Saints, the process and procedures, and enter the ranks of Catholicism's Blessed. Nasty rumors hint at religious politics at the highest levels, but perhaps he was just well-loved and remembered.

Unlike the poor Saint Ibanez, one of the Spanish Saints linked to my country, whose image you see. Can you tell me what he's the patron of? What life did he live? How did he die?

Really, the plethora of Saints in heaven must drive some of them to despair. After all, how many things are there to be patron of? And what if no one remembers anymore?