Daily Retreat 11/01/06
2006 Nov 1 Wed: ALL SAINTS S. Holy Day of Obligation.
Rv 7: 2-4. 9-14/ Ps 23(24): 1b-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ 1 Jn 3: 1-3/ Mt 5: 1-12a
From today’s readings: “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.... Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.... Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.... Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven....”
Diverse Paths to Life’s One Goal
Among the familiar canonized saints, there is a remarkable range of personalities: compare, for example, the poverty of St. Francis of Assisi with the courtly splendor of St. Louis, or the brilliance of St. Thomas Aquinas with the simple-mindedness of St. Bernadette, or the eloquence of St. Anthony with the muteness of St. Joseph, or the restless zeal of St. Frances Cabrini with the steadfastness of St. Benedict. They all are alike in Christian holiness, but quite different in their paths to beatitude.
Then too, we must not forget that, in addition to all the famous saints in the Church’s calendar, there are many other quiet unsung heroes in Heaven, making up that “great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.” Again, they share similarities in their sanctity, but also varied greatly in their earthly lives.
Certainly, all saints make a whole-hearted embrace of the love of God and have at least that much in common, but they do this in quite different ways, and that is as it should be. In an unforgettable passage near the beginning of her autobiography, St. Thérèse de Lisieux reflected on this diversity of saints, and wrote:
That does not imply that we are to “do our own thing” in our lives, when that means giving free reign to our own will and tastes. Rather, we are always to do God’s will in our lives, and He has formed us with a unique combination of abilities, inclinations, and challenges to fulfill His will with personal love and faithfulness.
Too often, we waste our saintly creativity dreaming of how we would faithfully fulfill another’s vocation: “If I were a priest, I would study and explain the Scriptures better than our pastor!” or, “If I were bishop, I would proclaim the truths of our faith more boldly than our ordinary!” or, “If I were the cantor, I wouldn’t draw so much attention to myself,” or “If I were their mother, I would discipline those children better!” etc.
But such thoughts are devilish distractions, for we each need our full concentration and inspired imagination just to discern and live out our own call to serve God in the unique and essential vocation to which He directs each one of us.
So, if I am to become a saint, I must discover and fully embrace the ideal of sainthood for which God created me. If you want to become a saint, you must discern and live the model of sanctity which God deems most suitable for you. Certainly, the practice of virtue will be indispensable for both of our vocations, and so we each must commit ourselves to that, but there will also be many differences in our respective vocations which we must accept as well, in order for you to help me, and me to help you, so that we too one day can take our unique place in swelling the ranks of all the saints!
Rv 7: 2-4. 9-14/ Ps 23(24): 1b-2. 3-4ab. 5-6/ 1 Jn 3: 1-3/ Mt 5: 1-12a
From today’s readings: “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.... Lord, this is the people that longs to see Your face.... Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.... Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven....”
Diverse Paths to Life’s One Goal
Among the familiar canonized saints, there is a remarkable range of personalities: compare, for example, the poverty of St. Francis of Assisi with the courtly splendor of St. Louis, or the brilliance of St. Thomas Aquinas with the simple-mindedness of St. Bernadette, or the eloquence of St. Anthony with the muteness of St. Joseph, or the restless zeal of St. Frances Cabrini with the steadfastness of St. Benedict. They all are alike in Christian holiness, but quite different in their paths to beatitude.
Then too, we must not forget that, in addition to all the famous saints in the Church’s calendar, there are many other quiet unsung heroes in Heaven, making up that “great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.” Again, they share similarities in their sanctity, but also varied greatly in their earthly lives.
Certainly, all saints make a whole-hearted embrace of the love of God and have at least that much in common, but they do this in quite different ways, and that is as it should be. In an unforgettable passage near the beginning of her autobiography, St. Thérèse de Lisieux reflected on this diversity of saints, and wrote:
Our Lord has deigned to explain this mystery to me. He showed me the book of nature, and I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would lose its springtide beauty, and the fields would no longer be enamelled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, Our Lord's living garden....There are many ways, then, of becoming a saint. In fact, every person born into the world has a unique vocation of serving God in a particular way! We are each inspired and strive to pattern our lives on the example of certain saints which appeal most to us, yet we are not called to be carbon copies of anyone who has gone before us, or anyone who will come after us.
That does not imply that we are to “do our own thing” in our lives, when that means giving free reign to our own will and tastes. Rather, we are always to do God’s will in our lives, and He has formed us with a unique combination of abilities, inclinations, and challenges to fulfill His will with personal love and faithfulness.
Too often, we waste our saintly creativity dreaming of how we would faithfully fulfill another’s vocation: “If I were a priest, I would study and explain the Scriptures better than our pastor!” or, “If I were bishop, I would proclaim the truths of our faith more boldly than our ordinary!” or, “If I were the cantor, I wouldn’t draw so much attention to myself,” or “If I were their mother, I would discipline those children better!” etc.
But such thoughts are devilish distractions, for we each need our full concentration and inspired imagination just to discern and live out our own call to serve God in the unique and essential vocation to which He directs each one of us.
So, if I am to become a saint, I must discover and fully embrace the ideal of sainthood for which God created me. If you want to become a saint, you must discern and live the model of sanctity which God deems most suitable for you. Certainly, the practice of virtue will be indispensable for both of our vocations, and so we each must commit ourselves to that, but there will also be many differences in our respective vocations which we must accept as well, in order for you to help me, and me to help you, so that we too one day can take our unique place in swelling the ranks of all the saints!
posted by FrPitstick | 10/31/2006
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