Becoming a Saint

Happy Feast of All Saints!  There are so many wonderful men and women who have gone before us, giving us examples of how to live, or sometimes, what NOT to do!  I think there is a saint for almost any situation/career/grace that you could think of.  What inspires me the most is that many of the saints are ordinary people who loved God completely.  As we heard at Mass today, we don't have to be a St. Thomas Aquinas (very scholarly) or St. Theresa of Kolkata (working with the poorest of the poor).  Yet we are not excused from being saint just because we don't think we can measure up.  Sainthood is not only defined by great acts, although there are many saints who were heroic in their actions.  To me, being a saint is as basic as Matthew Kelly's famous catchphrase - "Becoming the best version of ourselves."  I love that expression, because it highlights two things:  1) That we don't have to become anyone other than ourselves.  We are quality material!  2) We were designed to be saints from the beginning of our very existence.  It is in our spiritual DNA!  In our homily today, we heard that doing small things with great love is a saintly act.  Many saints espouse that motto, but one of the best is St. Therese.

"Little things done out of love are those that charm the Heart of Christ… On the contrary, the most brilliant deeds, when done without love, are but nothingness."

 ~St. Therese of Lisieux "The Little Flower" (taken from  http://www.pathsoflove.com/love-therese.html)

I had an interesting encounter recently.  I was feeling a bit out of sorts, and someone said I needed to do something.  As capricious beings, we humans can take slight at the drop of a hat, and I was no different.  I could claim it was the tone of the statement, or the lack of request that made me bristle.  In reality, it was a very, very minor situation, but I was a bit peeved.  So, my response, in all seriousness and without sarcasm, was, "I would be happy to do so."  I know, you're thinking that I lied.  I was not at all happy, and I really wanted to be sarcastic, except . . . that would not be loving.  It was not a big deal, and I needed to get over myself and move on.  So, rather than pout or act righteous, I swallowed my ego, loved the person, and did what was asked of me.

What did I learn?  That every day has numerous opportunities to be loving, a.k.a. to practice sainthood.  My little encounter will not define my spiritual life, but it can strengthen it.  I will fall many more times, and I will fail to be loving more often than I would care to say.  Yet it is in the trying that we can be formed, and it is in the everyday moments that we can practice loving.  We can become saints, one moment at a time.  We can attain holiness, as Matthew Kelly points out because, "Saints didn't live holy lives, they lived millions of holy moments."

Prayer - Lord, help me live in the moment.  I want to be the best version of myself, a saint, but I need You to show me how.  Guide me in the moments that I struggle and fail.  Hold me close in the moments I feel despair and doubt.  Inspire me in the moments I am called to love.  I want to do little things with great love for Your Honor and Glory.  Amen.