Saint Perpetua and Nancy Mairs

I found the medieval writing very dense to read, so found an easier link here.

The passion of St. Perpetua and Felicity sounded similar to the idea of Jihad or martyrdom and then dreams about paradise once matryed. Her visions were imaginative and descriptive.

St. Perpetua had another significant vision as well, which repeated the first. In this vision, Perpetua saw a ladder leading to heaven. At the bottom of the ladder was a serpent, attacking the Christians trying to climb the latter to heaven. From this vision Perpetua claimed that she would have to fight Satan rather than just the beast of the arena

I also like the idea of different saints for different parts and periods of one's life, she was the saint of mothers and expecting mothers.


Nancy Mairs is clearly interested in combining her ideas of social activism with her Catholic faith. Her handicap makes her more sensitive to those that are different and less able.

The phenomena of writing about helping others is clearly a 21st century idea. Who is she actually helping more, herself or the people she visits at the hospice and the prison? I felt I did not hear a critical voice in her writings. Doing volunteer work is wonderful, but in spiritual terms how is it in dealing with the ego? Is it making one feel good to help someone else? Mahatma Gandhi said something to the effect of do but do not expect rewards or appreciation for what you do. It is actually quite a seminal Hindu concept. This concept makes one humble and self effacing a necessity in spiritual realization.

I think Rabia, Mirabai and Perpetua had in some ways subsumed their needs and identity and merged with the higher consciousness. Sappho and Nancy Mairs were exploring their individual consciousness and carving an identity based on self exploration.