Biography of a Living Saint

Richard McLean

Description

This book tells of Saint Richard’s persona, adventures and spiritual beliefs. If you are fascinated by saints, this book is for you.

Whether it’s family, friends, God, or a stranger, life finds a way for you eventually. But when you question where you stand, your foundation begins to crumble.



In this biography of a living saint, Richard McLean reveals how he has prospered in faith through the love and grace of God from an early age.

Sunday school and church taught him how to pray, and when he was old enough to attend Sunday church services, his relationship with the Lord reached a higher plane. He drew closer to Jesus.

He explores what it means to be a saint, noting that the Bible does not define what a saint is or give us a job description of what a saint does.

The author observes, however, that if you look at the saints collectively, their lives seem to follow a pattern. They all dedicate their life God—and they remain steadfast, no matter what.

While there is no blueprint to becoming a saint, you’ll be inspired by learning about their journey—as well as the author’s—as you let God’s love shape your destiny and guide you to heaven.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Christian Living
• Inspirational
• Philosophie et théologie
• Religión
• Christianity
• Saints

Informations

• Publié par: WestBow Press
• Date de parution: 17 novembre 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781664282285
• Langue: English

Extrait

BIOGRAPHY
OF A
LIVING SAINT
 
 
 
 
RICHARD MCLEAN
 
 
 

 
 
Copyright © 2022 Richard McLean.
 
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
 
This book is a work of non-fiction. Unless otherwise noted, the author and the publisher make no explicit guarantees as to the accuracy of the information contained in this book and in some cases, names of people and places have been altered to protect their privacy.
 
 
WestBow Press
A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan
1663 Liberty Drive
Bloomington, IN 47403
www.westbowpress.com
844-714-3454
 
Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.
 
Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Getty Images are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.
Certain stock imagery © Getty Images.
 
Scripture taken from the King James Version of the Bible.
 
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8227-8 (sc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8229-2 (hc)
ISBN: 978-1-6642-8228-5 (e)
 
Library of Congress Control Number: 2022919692
 
 
 
WestBow Press rev. date: 11/17/2022
CONTENTS
Dedication
Acknowledgments
Preface
Chapter 1 Early Childhood
Chapter 2 Recounting Memories from My Childhood
Chapter 3 Growing Up
Chapter 4 Adolescence
Chapter 5 Further Education and Career
Chapter 6 Family
Chapter 7 The Role of Religion
Chapter 8 Reflecting on My Religious Inclination
Chapter 9 Retirement
Chapter 10 Personal Note
DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to the Apostle, Saint Peter, the patron saint of fisherman and the Holy Father of all saints. He holds the keys to the gates of heaven.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Many thanks to my son, Zach, for his help with typing the manuscript and shooting the photographs.
Also, a big thank you to Scott Andrews and the Montana State University for their expert help.
PREFACE
This book is my way of giving back to the world on a larger scale than ever before. I’ve always been considered a leader and a sign of hope. However, I have always felt I could do more than that. I want those who aren’t in my reach to have some sort of hope also. I don’t want you to follow my path or become me, but I want you to know that it’s possible to overcome your hurdles, no matter what.
What life has taught me is that human beings are stronger than one could ever think or assume. We are complex individuals. We learn, we feel, we love, and that humanity saves us in unimaginable ways. If it weren’t for this, we would be nowhere. Don’t be scared of reaching out. Whether it’s family, friends, God, or a stranger, life finds a way for you eventually. It’s when you question where you stand that your foundation begins to crumble. You need to stand strong, my friends. This book will teach you how you can, and, more than that, the fact that you have it in you. Maybe you’re just like me, knowing you have a story that can help others with no real way to do it. Stop doubting yourself, your spirit, and your aura. You’re more than what you know. If you embrace that, there is no way to stop your potential.
I, too, used to wonder what to write about and how to pen down my tale. I didn’t know how to start or where to finish; after all, my story is not yet done. However, in the end, I let my mind and my faith do the talking. By the grace of God, words began to flow, and soon, I realized I had so much to say. Don’t let society or your worries stop you from becoming who you want to be. There will always be some work or commitment or hardship in your way. If you look past it and work in spite of it, you’ll always succeed. However, first and foremost, take care of yourself. Your needs are more important than anyone else’s. One needs to help oneself before one is able to help others.
You are never alone. God is always with you. That’s what got me through every criticism, every instance of someone underestimating me, and every moment I doubted myself. If He is with me, no one can be against me. Before I start my story, I want you to know the one piece of advice I have always found solace in from the best possible adviser:
“Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve” (1 Corinthians 15:1–58).
CHAPTER 1
Early Childhood

Life is full of bounties that fall upon each human being. Sometimes one has to look for them, and sometimes we are fortunate enough to experience them without waiting. I guess I belonged to the latter group. From the very first day that I opened my eyes in this mortal world, I was blessed with prosperity—born with a silver spoon in my mouth, so to speak. I was handed over blessings upon blessings, abundances for which I am eternally grateful. I was born on November 24, 1951, in New Castle, Pennsylvania, United States. My hometown is around sixty miles north of Pittsburgh.
I don’t remember my parents’ expressions when they first saw me; I don’t know what my mother might have felt when she first held me or how my father would have reacted when I held onto his finger with my tiny fist for the first time. But I’m sure that both my parents were overwhelmed with joy and gratitude toward God, as any loving parents would be. Not everyone is prepared to take up the responsibility of bringing another person into their lives. Some look forward to it, some learn to accept it when it happens, and some take time to adjust to a whole new life. I was my beloved parents’ firstborn. I believe that when a child steps into the world, not one but three lives change indefinitely. While the new life steps into the world and starts its journey, its progenitors begin their own journeys. They take on the roles of being parents, roles that can be incredibly challenging yet genuinely divine, setting the courses of their lives very differently from before. Their lives change to the extent where they have to adjust them completely to accommodate the new life they are responsible for. Their child depends on them to be the guiding lights in his or her life, paving the way to endless possibilities. I’m sure my parents experienced the same thing.

Robert A. McLean and son Richard, Christmas, 1951
I belonged to an upper-middle-class family, for which I am highly thankful. When children open their eyes to a world where they are blessed with almost everything they would require in life, the kind of personality they happen to develop is far more different from those who have to struggle to acquire the basics in life. As a child, I was always provided everything I needed. I don’t remember a time when I had to struggle for basic amenities or for things of comfort. I was fortunate enough to be raised by both of my parents, who gave me an extraordinary life from the day I was born. Both my parents played active roles in my upbringing. My father, Robert Aiken McLean, and my mother, Joanne Elizabeth McLean, were both graduates of Pennsylvania State University and happened to excel in their fields. My father was a powerful businessman and worked as an engineer at my grandfather’s construction company. His job was to build high-rises. My father was great at this work, so he helped the family business grow and prosper.
My mother, on the other hand, was a homemaker. While my father worked tirelessly to make our lives better, my mother took care of everything we needed at home. They were two incredibly loving and humble people. By nature, my mom was the soft and nurturing one. She truly had patience, especially when dealing with me.
I remember her sweet, motherly caress, her tenderness, and her unconditional love, which she showered upon me endlessly. And like every child, I also found my safe haven in my mother’s arms. My mother was an excellent cook as well. She made the best food for all of us. Whenever my sister and I would come back home from school, she would have freshly baked cookies and milk ready for us.
My parents lived their lives by the belief of Saint Augustine that “right is right even when no one is doing it, and wrong is wrong even when everyone is doing it.” As far as my father was concerned, he was an authoritarian—known for his discipline. And although he was a strict father, I know that he had infinite love and affection for me. After all, I was his first and only son. He was the strongest pillar of our family unit, and he carried out his role quite gracefully. Perhaps that’s why all the earliest memories I have of my father and mother are about fun, contentment, and wholesome times. In my head, that’s the image of a perfect family—strong, loving, and complete.
However, as I mentioned in the beginning, I fail to understand what I did to deserve the countless blessings that I was bestowed with since the day I was born into this family. Out of the many bles