We are all called to be saints. Before you run screaming in the other direction, remember that the people we call “saints” once had many of the problems and quirks that we have. Let me introduce you to a few of my favorites and you may see that you have a lot in common with them- there may be hope for us yet!
St. Bernadette Soubirous lived in France in the 1800’s. Mary appeared to her at Lourdes, you probably know that story. What you may not know about her is that when she went to the Mother house in Nevers, she recounted the visions for the sisters one last time and never spoke of them again. She had a bit of sass for those who came for her to bless them, liked to pray by the statue of Mary in the garden, and enjoyed picking and eating raspberries.
St. Francis of Assisi gave up a comfortable life to serve others. He founded the Franciscan order almost by accident. He had a special relationship with animals and truly saw Jesus in others. He had some stomach issues and enjoyed the solitude of nature.
Mother Theresa is much closer to us in history than the others I mentioned. She served the poor, the sick, and the dying. She was present and listened to others, giving them the freedom to be themselves. Did you know that she felt far from God for many years? You would not have known it to look at her joyful face since she continued to love and serve people.
I like learning about the saints, their quirks, and how they saw the world. They were people doing what they were called to with joy, humility, and humor. They are not so different from us. I imagine if you asked them that they would be the first to tell you that they are not saints; they just chose every day to follow Christ and followed where that led.
Do you see yourself in the people I mentioned? You and I have the same choices. You don’t have to do great things- it’s the million small things that make up our lives, when we do them with joy and love, get us a little closer to heaven. My challenge for you today is to pick a saint that you like, or who interests you, and really learn about their life. You may find that you are closer to being a saint than you think.
