Interesting thing I'm discovering about myself: I grew up thinking it was a selfish thing to say, "I want to be a saint."
That probably sounds absurd. All Christians aspire to sainthood, and even non-Christians know that it's something important to us.
I grew up thinking it would be an amazing gift from God to be a saint, but would honestly feel ashamed ever expressing a desire to be a saint.
Pretty crazy! I realize now that what I saw in sainthood was miracles and eternal life and joy and comfort and good food and being "better than everyone else." What I see now is a life of poverty, humility, and humiliations. An ardent desire for God's unity and peace and justice, so ardent that you would daily lay down your life for it. As this understanding grows, I'm beginning to realize how good it is even to desire sainthood. To be Christ here today.
Who wants to be a saint?
2 comment(s):
Several years ago I attempted to lead my Holy Cross Associates housemates in a community night activity of having us write our own "saint stories." Like, what the Lives of the Saints would say about us if we ever became saints. My goal was to have us think about what amazing things we wanted to do for the Lord ... but one of my housemates opted out of the activity saying it was too prideful. Bummer. If you think about the literal meaning of saint, just someone who is in heaven with the Father, heck yeah! How could you NOT want to be a saint? But I guess people are less comfortable with the capital-s Saint idea.
sheila is a pretty good prospect i suspect - can hardly wait to see you there ... with the Father ... and sheila will be there, to, of course.
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