TO BE OR NOT TO BE- A SAINT!

 

 

 St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, felt for most people  life was chiefly about making ordinary everyday life something extraordinary.

 “God doesn’t pull you out of your environment, He doesn’t remove you from the world, nor from your state in life, nor from your noble human ambitions, nor from your professional work... but, there, He wants you to be holy!” 

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops defines a saint as “the members of the Church who have arrived at perfect union with Christ, who join their wills to the will of God in praying for those in the Church.”

This past month the relic of the new saint, Carlos Acuti, was in Anacortes (the small mainland town where we catch the ferry). Many we know went to pay homage to this young man who had a great devotion to the Eucharist and was a very savvy user of the internet. Why we ask, would 70 year old people go to pray before a recognized saint, but one who was still a teenager when he died?

 When we look at many of the new saints, we see people of all walks, some who led a “strange” life, which we may question, “why them”?  But what sets all apart, is a great love of Christ and the willingness to share that love with others- often in hidden ways. 

What we tend to forget is, most saints were not extraordinary individuals, but ordinary people striving for holiness within their call in life, be it in a monastery, in a factory, in a family. They lived their lives not on a pedestal but down in the trenches of life, closely connected to God through prayer.

To be a saint is what we are all called to be, and while the Church has given us examples to imitate, there are thousands of people who live holy lives without being noticed by those around them. 

Remember, sanctity is not as uncommon as people think. All it takes is to be a lover of Jesus Christ.  Many new holy people have come to my attention this summer and I will be presenting some in the weeks ahead.

Tapestries:  Los Angeles Cathedral- John Nava