His Holiness Pope Shenouda III explains the importance of reading the lives of the saints as spiritual nourishment that activates the spiritual life and fills the soul for walking in the way of God.

The place of the lives in the life of the Church:
The Church cares for the lives of the saints in the Synaxarium and in feasts and icons and hymns so that their impact may be rooted in the mind of man and the hearts of believers.

Types of saints and the benefits of reading them:
There are martyrs and heroes of faith and teachers and monks and pastors and laypeople and youths and children; each life gives an example of a specific virtue such as repentance or giving or struggle or silence.

Spiritual and practical impact:
The lives of the saints show that the ideals of the Holy Scripture are applicable practically, and they give believers courage and steadfastness and practical inspiration for Christian life.

Correct way to read:
Do not imitate blindly; read selectively and gradually according to your ability and circumstances, take the spirit of the virtue not the form, and under spiritual guidance to avoid uncalculated leaps.

Applying the virtues:
Choose the virtue that affects you and read the lives of saints famous for it, and progress step by step until you apply it in your daily life.

Continuous benefit:
Regular reading of the lives of the saints develops the spiritual life continuously and teaches wisdom and the etiquette of addressing God and reminds believers of the labors of the holy generations.

Conclusion:
Make reading the lives of the saints a permanent routine in your life: be inspired, progress gradually, and seek the intercession of the saints and emulate them in ways suitable to your circumstances.

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