Hi, I’m Stuart M. Hood from BC, Canada.

I describe myself as a disciple of Jesus Christ, saint and mystic on my home page, and will clarify here what that means to me. As a devout Christian I discipline my life according to the teachings of my Lord and master, Jesus Christ. That is why I call myself a disciple of Jesus.

As I have done so, I have felt a call on my life that has felt tied to sainthood. What does that mean exactly? Some may find that claim to be highly egotistical or just plain false since I don’t meet the requirements of what the Catholic church deems a canonized saint. I see it a different way. I see all true followers of God, whether dead or alive, as saints, and some other Christians do, too. For instance, my siblings attended a Bible college where the dean would regularly interact with students, asking them, “how are the saints today?”

I don’t just borrow that term to make myself seem esteemed in some way, I feel it genuinely in my daily connection with God. That connection is what Jesus taught people to achieve, and through it I believe anyone can be called to a life as a literal saint. I am daily humbled and grateful to God for that direction in my life, and encourage any believer to call themselves the same if they feel it from God.

As far as being a mystic, I was very interested in spiritual philosophy growing up, and sought God in many ways — much of it was through deep existential meditations, and some of it was through reading the spiritual revelations of others, across different religions and traditions, some of who described very powerful encounters with a an unmistakably divine presence. I have had an encounter myself which was very powerful and unmistakably divine, and since I have quenched any doubt in my mind to the reality of God. I still continue to experience daily communion with God, often through the Holy Spirit, which is what following the teachings of Jesus Christ has led me to. I will continue to seek God and let Him lead me to the things in life He wants me to accomplish like the projects I have listed here on my website. All praise to God. Amen.

Email: smhood(at)smhood(dot)com