Today is one of my favorite days of the year, and not just for the reason that anyone who knows me is thinking. It's the feast day of my Confirmation saint, St. Gianna Beretta Molla, an Italian doctor who died in 1962 after refusing to abort her child in order to save her own life (that child, incidentally, later became a surgeon, and was present at her mother's canonization). My favorite photo of her is posted above (and isn't it odd to have a favorite photo of one's Confirmation saint?). As you can see, it's very simple, just a picture of Gianna feeding her two small children, and the simplicity is why I like it so much. I love the way she was able to find beauty and meaning in the smallest, most mundane tasks, and do them with so much love. This humility is also a prevalent theme in her writings:

"Work and sacrifice yourself only for the glory of God. Sow your little seeds tirelessly. If, even after all of your best efforts, failure seems to be the result, accept this generously. A failure gracefully accepted by an apostle, who has used all the means available to suceed, may be more beneficial for salvation than a victory. Let us always work generously and humbly; let us try not to look immediately for the fruits of our labor."

-From writings presented to the
Congregation for the Causes of Saints