Christ the King Parish in Williamsburg shared a recent note from their pastor on following the examples of the saints in heaven.

“One of the greatest gifts we have in our faith is the example of the holy men and women who have walked before us,” Fr. Christopher Jarvis said in the Sept. 27 church bulletin. "The Communion of the saints is an inspiration for us to live holy lives and to strive for perfection. They are our brothers and sisters who walked before us and they made it!”

A number of feast days were recently celebrated, including the feast of St. Wenceslaus on Sept. 28; the Archangels, St. Michael, St. Rafael and St. Gabriel on Sept. 29; St. Jerome on Sept. 30; St. Therese' of Lisieux on Oct. 1 and the guardian angels on Oct. 2.

Devotion to the saints is an important part of the Christian walk because they set an example for us as individuals. They, too, were fully human and shared in our challenges, yet they followed in deep devotion to the service of Christ, the Church and their fellow humans.

St. Wenceslaus and St. Therese' were both individuals who at very young ages felt the call to an incredible life of service— the former serving as the Duke of Bohemia and forgiving his brother with his dying breaths after being assassinated, and the latter entering a monastery at a young age.

St. Jerome was responsible for translating the Bible, giving the entirety of humanity a deeper understanding of God and access to His wisdom.

The guardian angels are important to each person and offer a great deal of strength in our spiritual walks.

“Each one of us has our own guardian angel who has been given to us to aid in the effort to grow in holiness and get to heaven,” Fr. Jarvis said in the bulletin. “We should foster a devotion to our guardian angels.”