Sainthood? What does this mean?

Sainthood is the most beautiful thing, the greatest human fulfilment. It is a union with the life of Jesus and Mary in Nazareth, the life we find in the Catholic Church. But how do we understand sainthood? In many hearts there is a vision of sainthood as something rigid, artificial, unreal, strange, not good, not authentic and not true: “We could do with good, normal, real, authentic and true life, but not with saints” – someone has said recently. “We should be inclusive and promote diversity as an equal option for life. We have civil law which is good, but talking about sainthood is about exclusivity and it makes me think that the Church is behind society” – pointed out someone else. “Do not lie, do not hurt others, treasure your job and be aboveboard” – and it would be enough – added another person. “Sainthood is nothing but being good, normal, authentic and real’ – said another. “We should not even think about dividing life for secular life and sainthood” – said a subsequent disputer – “all our sins are already judged on the Cross and if we honestly bring our corrupted thoughts, words, and deeds to Christ, we are saints in the midst or our life. That is God’s gift – just open your heart”.
 
But let us find out what the Church says about sainthood. Let it be our task for the month of November, bearing in mind that none of the above answers is satisfactory. Let us also accept that we are created for heaven, to co-love not to co-hate, that our souls can have life to the full and enjoy life to the full only when we become saints, as it is written in our moral and spiritual DNA and fully expressed in God’s Ten Commandments and the Revealed Life and Teaching of the Son of God. Let us acknowledge that God does not accept a “halfway” saint, if any of us at the deathbed is not a saint, his life is failed in many areas. Hence purgatory as a great act of Mercy from God becomes a place for further purification, as nothing impure can enter heaven. Finally, Christ often says that we should be also careful of not entering the path leading to hell.
Fr. Stan

Categories: Reflections