If you’ve ever wondered about the connection, your explanation is here, offered by none other than a leading expert on saints, Father James Martin, SJ. The answer to that question is brief, but Father Martin, in this simple and engaging video, shares plenty more of his expertise on this favorite topic of his.

From today’s Wall Street Journal, the always thoughtful and provocative Father James Martin weighs in on the lives of two potential saints, the newly beatified parents of the popular St. Therese of Lisieux. Saints were were married is a rarity; saints who were married couples rarer still. Martin offers compelling insight into why such people are as worthy as emulations as virtuous priests and nuns. The story is here.

Excerpt: Certainly there have been as many saintly wives and husbands as there have been holy priests and nuns. But religious orders and dioceses know how to navigate the canonization procedures on behalf of bishops, priests, brothers and sisters. By contrast, how many families have the resources to embark on the decades-long process on behalf of even the holiest mother or father? As a result, married Catholics have few exemplars other than Mary and Joseph, whose situation was hardly replicable.

Driving home from work yesterday, I caught this commentary on NPR by my friend, Father Jim Martin, a Jesuit priest in New York City, the best-selling author of “My Life with the Saints,” and an all-around great guy. The commentary, delivered in his bright and engaging style, celebrates his 20 years as a Jesuit, and most tellingly, addresses the issue of chastity. It’s less than three minutes long and well worth listening to.