A Saint Today

To be a saint, be who you are and be that well.  St. Francis DeSales

The beginning of November is a little like a saintly new year celebration.  The feasts of All Saints and All Souls  always tosses me into great thought about my own holiness and God’s plan for my sainthood.  I know I’ve written it a hundred times but it bears repeating…we are called to be saints.  That’s what God’s plan for each of us is…it’s what we were created for.  He made us in his image and he wants us back in heaven where we will be saints. It’s the plan and thankfully the process isn’t rocket science.  Love him, serve him, fail, ask forgiveness, love a little harder and with his never-ending grace, someday we will claim our sainthood…completely because it’s his plan! 

Even though we celebrate All Saints, that sure doesn’t mean All Saints are the same.  The truth is, saints are as completely different as you can imagine because  each of us has a deeply different path to sainthood.  The only thing that is the same is God’s desire to have us home and among the Communion of Saints.  I thought it might be a great day to pause and pray and think about your sainthood.  Fr. Mike Schmitz said,  “The big question is…if we are all called to be saints, how do we answer that call?  The simple answer…We act like they do!”  This week, of all weeks can be a great opportunity to do just that.

The election has had a way of bringing out the ugly in some folks.  It seems that Covid has become more a matter of politics than public health.  It seems that seeing the good in others makes us weak, indecisive, and disloyal.  It appears that red and blue and black and brown have become volatile words instead of colors that each add beauty of the fabric of our life.  It seems that people are seen ONLY for the group they seem to be assigned to like they are one big lump.  As chaotic and ugly and negative as the climate seems right now we have a powerful opportunity to work on our sainthood.  Just because this seems to be the way society is behaving, we have a choice to see it the same and nod our head or see it differently and do a little tending to our own soul…which is by the way, the ONLY thing we have any control over!  St. Francis DeSales also said, “Saints have a strategy for their lives because nobody has ever accidentally lived on purpose.” So what’s your strategy for the days and weeks to come as we head into the election and the aftermath that’s sure to follow?  How about a saintly strategy that includes…

*Praying for the winners and the losers.  Ask God to grant them the grace to accept the outcome with humility.
*Ponder the dignity of everyone…big, small, powerful, weak, those you agree with and those you don’t.
*God’s mercy will never allow him to give up on you…maybe we should spread that around a little. Merciful eyes see God even when a persons actions reflect something different.
*People are sometimes lumped into groups whether they asked to be or have great reason to even be there…there’s always more to the story than you know and it’s probably wise to be sure we know who’s telling the story.
*EVERY SINGLE PERSON, waking this earth was created in the Image and Likeness of God, we don’t have to agree with them or like them but we absolutely do have to remember this powerful truth.
*Sometimes God takes the long, windy, rocky, bumpy, ugly path to get us someplace we need to be.  The sights along the way are certainly meant to teach us something if we’re watching, learning and listening. I’m sure Moses and the Israelites didn’t always see beauty in the desert but the trip was worth it!
*Trust in the Lord with all your heart!  He demonstrates his love for his children again and again.  Besides, if he could take care of the Red Sea, he can surely take care of a White house. We aren’t the boss of anything but saints revel and rejoice in the power of the One who is.

If we are going to use this nutty time to “act like they do” it might be a good idea to plan our strategy and be mindful of the example we’re setting for others.  I don’t know about you, but I sure could use a heap of grace to use these next days well so I can “be who I am and do it well.” I am a woman of joy and optimism…even in days like these.  Who are you?

A Seed To Plant: Pick one idea from this post that can help you live your sainthood in the days and weeks to come.​

Blessings on your day!