St. Issac of Nineveh

Last updated on: January 28, 2021 at 5:14 am by Billy Kangas

St. Issac of Nineveh 2021-01-27T19:56:38-04:00 Billy Kangas

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Today is the Feast of St. Issac of Ninevah. His feast is almost never celebrated in the Western Church given that he shares the day with St. Thomas Aquinas. He is, however, my confirmation saint, and so each year his feast has tremendous meaning for me. I didn’t become Catholic until well into adulthood and I did so after years as a protestant minister so the choice to pick Issac was one of tremendous significance to me. Here are a few of the reasons I choose him as my confirmation saint, and why I continue to turn to him for prayer and guidance each day.

Issac expands my worldview – He is from a very different time and place. He lived 1300 years ago in the region of Bahrain. He offers a very different set of circumstances in which his faith was fostered and yet his words cut like daggers to the heart even to this day.
I have a deeply personal connection with Issac – As I began to read the fathers over a decade ago, Issac jumped off the page and came alive to me. Ever since then as I have approached every new challenge in my faith I have referred back to St. Issac as a guide to help me understand it better.
Issac Challenges me – You can’t help by be challenged by Issac. His view of God’s grace is so large and his perspective on the call of the Christian life is so rigorous that he forces you to struggle with the Gospel in every aspect of your life. Although he believes that “A handful of sand, thrown into the sea, is what sinning is, when compared to God’s Providence and mercy,” he states “The knowledge of the Cross is concealed in the sufferings of the Cross.” For Isaac, the mercy of God is such that it will not stop working in you until you are saved from every sin and even the desire to sin. He reminds us that “This life has been given to you for repentance; do not waste it in vain pursuits.”
Issac helped to form my view of God – Not only does Issac share my own theological convictions, in many ways he has helped form them. As I spent years trying to figure out how to reconcile God’s justice and mercy Issac spoke short lines like poetry that opened up new worlds to me. He gave me a new way to think about salvation and the cross and in doing so opened my heart to God in a way I will never be fully able to articulate but sometimes I might be able to sing about it. This is the kind of theology I love and the world that Isaac inhabits.
Issac is a Saint for all Christians – Isaac is honored in Eastern Orthodoxy, Oriental Orthodoxy, The Assyrian Church of the East, Roman Catholicism, and Eastern Catholicism. As someone who longs for church unity, I love turning to a saint that is shared by so many of the faithful.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

January 27, 2021

Angela Merici - Humble, Simple, Practical Spirituality

Next Post

January 29, 2021 Archangela Girlani - A Simple Prayer

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Art Bible Books CCC Prayer Christmas Current Events Family Film Free Photo Fridays Humor hunger liturgical calendar liturgy Music Photos pope Prayer Prayerful Leader questions Quotes Review Saints Satire Scripture SYNOD SYNOD FOR THE FAMILY teaching Uncategorized video Weekly Round Up

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 April 2026 February 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 February 2025 January 2025 September 2024 June 2024 May 2024 February 2024 December 2023 August 2023 May 2023 February 2023 November 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 March 2022 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 September 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 August 2019 June 2019 May 2019 March 2019 January 2019 December 2018 August 2018 June 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 December 2017 November 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 December 2016 November 2016 February 2016 January 2016 November 2015 October 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013 February 2013 January 2013 December 2012 November 2012 October 2012 August 2012 July 2012 June 2012 May 2012 April 2012 March 2012 February 2012 January 2012 December 2011 November 2011 October 2011 September 2011 August 2011 July 2011 June 2011 May 2011 April 2011 March 2011 February 2011 January 2011 December 2010 November 2010 October 2010 September 2010 August 2010 July 2010 June 2010 May 2010 April 2010 March 2010 February 2010 January 2010 December 2009 November 2009 October 2009 September 2009 August 2009 July 2009 June 2009 April 2009 March 2009 February 2009 January 2009 October 2008 August 2008 June 2008 May 2008 April 2008 March 2008 February 2008 January 2008 December 2007 November 2007

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: Animals that chew the cud but do not have split hooves are considered clean to eat.

Select your answer to see how you score.

FALSE TRUE