‘A saint is someone who reminds you of Jesus,’ says Robert Ellsberg

By John Dear, 20 January 2026
A composite image of (L-R) St Ignatius of Loyola by artist Miguel Cabrera, St Philip Neri by artist Sebastiano Conca, St Teresa of Ávila by artist Alonso del Arco, St Isidore the Farmer by artist Bartolomé González y Serrano and St Francis Xavier by artist Miguel Cabrera. Image: Wikimedia Commons

 

On this next episode of “The Nonviolent Jesus Podcast,” I speak with my friend Robert Ellsberg, the publisher and editor-in-chief of Orbis Books, about his latest book, Blessed Among Us: Day by Day with Saintly Witnesses, Vol. 2, a massive collection of beautifully written short descriptions of hundreds of saints, prophets and witnesses. He’s become one of the world’s leading experts on the saints, and listening to him talk about them is inspiring and uplifting.

“I wanted to bring a different way of looking at the saints as normal human beings that looked for a new way to follow Christ,” Ellsberg said. “I wanted to expand peoples’ conception of holiness, to raise the question, ‘Aren’t there all kinds of ways to live the Beatitudes?’ I’ve always been inspired by visionaries, artists, writers, poets and mystics of other times.”

Ellsberg is the author of several award-winning books, including All Saints: Daily Reflections on Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our TimeBlessed Among All Women: Women Saints, Prophets, and Witnesses for Our TimeThe Saints’ Guide to Happiness: Practical Lessons in the Life of the Spirit; and A Living Gospel: Reading God’s Story in Holy Lives.

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With thanks to the National Catholic Reporter (NCR) and John Dear, where this article originally appeared.

 

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