How's Your Prayer Life? Podcast is Holy Cross Family Ministry's new audio offering, sharing one-to-one conversations about how prayer appears in people's lives. The ordinary, often messy, honest peek into the prayer life of people just like you. Routines are desired but often usurped by the normal course of life. Busyness, obligations, and distractions continually create barriers to prayer, yet one thing was clear with each guest. They never give up striving to include prayer in their lives—recognizing the importance and power of a life rooted in prayer.
Join us each week for a new podcast episode on how to build a daily prayer life. Discover different Catholic devotions, revisit favorite prayers, and learn simple ways to make prayer part of your everyday routine. This lighthearted yet meaningful show offers authentic insights into how to pray and grow closer to God.
Read on to learn more about how saints and their heavenly intercession can play a vital role in your prayer life.
During our discussion, my guest and co-worker, Stephen Driscoll, explained how part of his prayer life involves turning to the saints. He explains that saints serve as models—human beings who struggled, repented, and ultimately who are now in heaven, gazing upon God.
Stephen said the saints are like “friends in heaven” — people who are always looking at God and can pray for us like trusted friends on earth. He said this makes them feel more tangible and relatable, especially because some of them struggled, got back up, and still made it to heaven.
Many years ago, I too learned to include these heavenly friends in my prayer life, dubbing them my “Saint Posse.” Stephen also had an extensive group of saints he turned to for myriad reasons. For him, saints aren’t a replacement for Jesus; they’re part of the whole heavenly support system, helping him “throw the whole heavenly book” at whatever situation he’s facing. This works because it makes prayer feel relational rather than distant, making it easier for people to connect with it emotionally and spiritually.
Stephen and I share a Saint Posse member in common—the founder of our ministry, Venerable Patrick Peyton. We are blessed to serve at the Father Peyton Center in Easton, Massachusetts, where visitors can come to the Queen of Families Veneration Chapel and pray in his presence. He has been a powerful intercessor in both of our lives, and we trust he will be for you and your family as well.
Tangible models: Saints like St. Pierre Giorgio Frassati inspire us by their lived faith in everyday circumstances. Stephen shares how he connects with saints through novenas and prayer cards.
Heavenly friends: Stephen fondly calls his favorite saints his "heavenly friends" —companions in prayer who understand human struggles.
Intercession: Saints are powerful allies who pray for us in heaven, adding a personal dimension to prayer. Stephen suggests praying to saints just as you would ask a friend on earth to pray for you.
Prayer in community: The church sees saints as witnesses, cheering us on in our spiritual race.
How to grow in saintly devotion:
Learn about different saints’ stories—many have struggled with sin and come out victorious.
Use prayer cards or books to foster a personal connection.
Remember, saints aren’t Jesus’ competition—they’re partners in your spiritual journey. They are real men and women who learned how to navigate this world prayerfully—with all its temptations and troubles—without losing sight of Jesus and the eternal reward of heaven.