At last count, the Catholic Church recognizes some 11 thousand different saints, and I emphasize that word, different. Compare, for instance, the lives of someone like Saint Rose of Lima and Saint Teresa of Avila, and you will see right away that there are as many ways of being a saint as there are people who become them.

We can perhaps wonder why that is, and where we might someday fit into that panoply of holiness. Rose Sweet’s newest book, “My Type of Holiness: Striving for Sainthood with the Temperament God Gave Me” is a good place to begin searching for precisely how the good God created us to reflect Him in the world.

Sweet has been working for the past 30 years with a concept that is actually quite ancient – the four temperaments. In combination – most people generally fit nicely into two of the four categories – they can give us an insight into how we think and why we do the things that we do. And lest you think that this is some sort of “New Age” thing, let me hasten to assure you – her book has both a Nihil Obstat and an Imprimatur. It is actually quite a Catholic approach to the topic.

The four temperaments, which Sweet spends several chapters explaining in great detail, fall under the two larger umbrellas of introverts and extroverts; these are terms that most readers will already be familiar with. In the extrovert column are those who are predominantly Sanguine – affectionate, upbeat, and colorful – and those who are predominantly Choleric – take-charge, bold, and practical types. In the introvert column are those who are Phlegmatic – easy-going, careful, and faithful. To round out the four are those whose temperaments are predominantly Melancholy – deep, meaningful, and creative.

Why bother studying these? Although Sweet hastens to point out that we are more than merely “temperaments,” having an idea of where we fall on the spectrum are clues that point us to God. By looking closely at our own temperaments, both their strengths and weaknesses, we are in a better position to work with what we do well – what God has given us to do – as well as to improve our own shortcomings. “Once we are aware of our own temperament’s weaknesses,” she points out, “we can work with the Lord to get to the root of them and bring about specific healing and growth.”

An understanding of temperaments and how each person is shaped by them also helps us to better relate and respond to others. To that end, Sweet devotes an entire chapter to evaluating, for instance, how good a marriage match someone might be with us. She also points out how understanding our spouse at this most basic level can help us improve our relationship with them, replacing frustration with appreciation.

She also spends time talking about the topic of parenting. As anyone who has more than one child or grandchild (I also think here of classroom teachers), it comes as no surprise that no two of them are exactly the same.
Having an understanding of what makes them “tick,” so to speak, can help us be better able to guide them, love them, and help them grow.

Throughout the book, Sweet demonstrates how an understanding of temperament can lead us to become saints by showing us how actual saints used their own temperaments to achieve holiness. Indeed, the fourth part of the book is devoted to using the knowledge the reader has gained to work toward their own sanctity. There is also a very detailed test at the end of the book which can help readers sort out which of the four temperaments are the ones they move most naturally in.

As we celebrate the saints, this book can help us come a few steps closer to the goal of becoming one of them.

Author bio:

Rose Sweet is a certified (Fowler International Academy of Professional Coaching) life and relationship coach, who has studied, worked with, written about, and spoken on the classic four temperaments for over 30 years. She has appeared as a popular guest on Catholic radio and television, been a keynote speaker at national and international Catholic conferences, and led parish missions, which included talks on the temperaments. Rose is married with adult children, and lives in California.