Meet the patron saint of all who persevere

Ignatius is a saint who’s loved
as is John of the Cross.
Teresa is the choice of some,
but her prayers leave me lost.

Tenacious is my patron saint,
not Ambrose or Bernhard.
He didn’t flinch, dropout or run
when trusting God got hard.

He persevered and got back up
when critics put him down.
And though at times the Lord seemed deaf,
he prayed without a frown.

Tenacious didn’t buy the lie
that says ease is our right.
Instead he found that faith grows best
within the soul’s dark night.

Tenacious planned on having days
at sixes and at sevens.
“Because,” he said, “we’re still on earth.
Perfection’s found in Heaven.”

I love this saint and yet it seems
he’s often overlooked.
You’d be hard-pressed to find his stuff
in Desert Fathers books.

And yet Tenacious speaks to those
who listen to his heart.
Tenacious Christians stay the course.
They finish what they start.