Why are two American yogis interested in the Catholic saints of France and Italy?
Our spiritual teacher, Paramhansa Yogananda, taught us to read and study the lives of the saints, so that we might be inspired by them, emulate them, and strive to become more saint-like ourselves. Following this advice, we decided to make our honeymoon a pilgrimage, and planned to visit the sacred shrines of Italy. After writing the book on Italy, France seemed the next obvious place to visit with its many famous pilgrimage sites. What do you find interesting about the saints’ lives? While writing the book, we both had deep experiences reading the lives of the saints. Their stories of self-offering to God’s will inspire us to do the same. Actually, many of the holy people we write about were known to study and contemplate the lives of the saints. We don’t have to travel to distant places to receive the inspiration of the saints we can read about the saints and meditate with them wherever we live. The true essence of pilgrimage is always centered in one’s own heart.
