This article is from a
chapter in Mother Angelica’s Guide to Practical
Holiness, which is available from
Sophia Institute Press (2018).
Saints: Ordinary People
Driven By Great Love
The concept of the perfect, faultless
saint is unrealistic. We have only to look at the gospels to see how imperfect
the Apostles and first Christians were. There was a point in their lives when
they changed. We call that point the time of their “conversion,” their encounter
with the Sanctifying Spirit. For the Apostles it was Pentecost, for Paul it was
a blinding light on the road to Damascus, for Cornelius it was the mere presence
of Peter.
However, most of the saints did not have dramatic experiences. As we have seen in the life of Matt Talbot, it was pain, disappointment, and a feeling of emptiness
that pushed him into the arms of God. No matter what happened, the saints
determined at some point to follow Jesus. A vacuum in their souls began to be
filled, for they found the pearl of great price. They all changed their lives,
some their state in life, but they did not get rid of their weaknesses. They
fought harder, conquered more often and grew, like Jesus, “in grace and wisdom
before God and men” (Luke 2:52).
In the Acts we see Peter’s vacillating spirit making him and
everyone else miserable as he took so much time deciding the fate of the
Gentiles. Paul’s temper flared quickly as he argued his point before the
gathering of Apostles. John, called by Jesus a son of thunder, had little
patience with those who would not follow Jesus.
In the lives of all the saints we find the following
similarities:
- love for God and neighbor,
- determination to imitate Jesus,
- an immediate rising after a fall,
- a complete breakaway from grievous sin,
- growth in virtue and prayer,
- and the accomplishment of God’s Will.
These factors are available to every human being; they do not
exclude imperfections and faults. We must make a distinction between faults and
sins. A saintly person keeps the Commandments; however, he may possess various
human qualities, dispositions that make the imitation of Jesus a sanctifying
process. These weaknesses make him choose constantly between himself and God. It
is in this emptying of oneself and the “putting on of Jesus” that he becomes
holy.
Holiness is a “growth experience” and growth consists in
advancing in knowledge, love, self-control and all those other imitable virtues
of Jesus. We must not lose sight of holiness as we grow, for holiness only means
that Jesus is more to us than anyone or anything else in the world. But this
desire to belong entirely to God does not exclude being loving to our neighbor,
compassionate, caring, patient and kind. Our desire to belong to God enhances
all these virtues in our souls, increases our love for our neighbor and makes us
more unselfish.
A housewife becomes holy by being a loving wife and mother,
filled with compassion for her family because she is filled with the
compassionate Jesus.
A husband and father becomes holy by being a good provider,
hardworking, honest and understanding because his model is the provident
Jesus.
Both husband and wife become holy together as their love for
Jesus grows. Love makes them see themselves and change those frailties that are
not like their Model. In doing this, life together is less complicated and more
loving and understanding. They are bound together by love and prayer, mutual
striving and forgiving.
Children become holy by being obedient, thoughtful, joyful and
loving. These qualities are maintained by grace and prayer.
Being faithful to the duties of one’s state in life and faithful
to the grace of the moment are not as easy as they appear. Our temperament,
weaknesses, society, work and even the weather clamor for our attention. Living
a spiritual life in an unspiritual world and maintaining the principles of Jesus
over the principles of this world is hard, but within reach of all. The paradox
is that if we choose evil over good it is hell all the way to hell and that is
harder.
Christianity is a way of life, a way of thought, a way of action
that is contrary to the way of the world. This makes the Christian stand alone
and it is this aloneness that discourages him from striving for holiness.
However, it is this same aloneness that makes him stand out in a crowd. He
becomes a beacon for those who do not enjoy the darkness, a light that
enlightens the minds of all around him, a fire that warms cold
hearts.
He struggles as all men struggle; he works, eats, sleeps, cries
and laughs, but the spirit in which he accomplishes ordinary human needs and
demands makes him holy. He does not always make the right decisions but he
learns from his mistakes. He does not correspond to every grace, but he accepts
his failures with humility and tries harder to be like the Master. He does not
condone sin, and though he is ever aware of his own sinner condition, he loves
his neighbor enough to correct him with gentleness when his soul is in
danger.
He is free to have or have not, for his real treasure is Jesus
and the invisible realities. He can possess with detachment or be dispossessed
without bitterness.
He knows his Father well enough to entrust his past to His
mercy. The Spirit is a friend who guides his steps and straightens the crooked
paths ahead. His time and talents are spent in the imitation of Jesus in the
ever present now.
The saint is the person who loves Jesus on a personal level;
loves Him enough to want to be like Him in everyday life; loves Him enough to
take on some of His loveable characteristics. Like Jesus, he lovingly
accomplishes the Father’s Will, knowing that all things are turned to good
because he is loved personally by such a great God.
Let us not be confused by the talents and missions of other
Saints. Let us be the kind of saints we were created to be. There are no little
or great saints — only men and women who struggled and prayed to be like Jesus —
doing the Father’s Will from moment to moment wherever they are and whatever
they are doing.
Saints are ordinary people with the compassion of the Father in
their souls, the humility of Jesus in their minds and the love of the Spirit in
their hearts. When these beautiful qualities grow day by day in everyday
situations, holiness is born.
The Father gave His Son so we would become His children and
heirs of His Kingdom. Jesus was born, lived and died and rose to show us the way
to the Father. The Spirit gave us His gifts so we would be clothed with the
jewels of virtue, the gold of love, the emeralds of hope and the brilliant
diamonds of faith.
Let us not be content with the scotch tape and the aluminum foil
of this world.
Be Holy — wherever you are!
