Becoming a Saint

Becoming a Saint
Monday, Dec. 3, 2007
The following are several incomplete excerpts from a talk given by a priest:
“St. Thomas Aquinas, the Patron of Schools, had the ability of dictating to several secretaries at the same time. Jesus told him, “Thomas you have written well of me.” There is St. John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, St. Ignatius of Loyola, & St. John Bosco.

To become a saint, you do not have to found a religious order. You don’t have to be sour and dour. Saints are the most happy of all people. What is necessary to become a saint?
a) Do God’s will in the way he wills it! b) Do our will in the way God wills it.
c) Jesus used his human will to do God’s will!

Jesus was a carpenter for 30 years. He was the second person of the Blessed Trinity made man. He was living in a backward town and He was doing the will of the Father. It is not important what we do if we are doing the will of the Father.

In Gethsemane, He prayed your will, the Father Be Done. This was also true in the life of the Blessed Mother. “I am the Servant of the Lord.” It was hard for Mary. Simeon told her a sword of sorrow will pierce your heart. She stood at the foot of the cross. The only thing that mattered to her was doing the will of the Father. Better to suffer than not to do the will of the Father.

Doing the Father’s will can be hard: Let this cup pass from me, but not my will but yours. It was sweat and blood. It wasn’t easy. Yet God is an easier task master than that of the world. It is easier to please God than others.

Who is holiness for? Jesus said, “Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Remember everyone in heaven is holy. You must make the effort to be holy to get there.
You don’t have to have any special talent. Only do God’s will.

St. Therese of Lisieux was a sensitive child. She entered the convent at 15 and died at 24. The Pope proclaimed her the greatest saint of modern times. She showed her love for God by doing her best not to offend him. She had sacrifice beads to show Jesus her love for him. She accepted all the little trials in her life. Her father became mentally ill. She suffered. She was always ready to help others instead of going into her room. She did all the ordinary things with a great deal of love.

Only the Church can declare someone infallibly a saint. We do God’s will with a lot of love. How do we know what God’s will is for us? Anyone can make a list like: keep the Ten Commandments, attend Mass on Sunday, live chastely, do not covet or take God’s name in vain.

What are the obstacles in doing God’s will? Sin and selfishness and doing what we want which is at times are contrary to God’s will. Overcome temptations through prayer, devotion to the Blessed Mother and the Saints. There is also frequent Holy Communion and confession. Little sacrifices will keep our fallen nature in line.

St. Paul tells us: I chastise my own body and offer up mortification to do God’s will. Keep busy with good things. Idleness lends itself to temptation by the devil. Keep busy with good friends will tell a lot about a person. In this Advent Season, our life is a straight line and not a circle. To get to heaven we have to be holy. Relax not our effort.”
It has been said that God did not create us out of necessity, justice or need of us. It is His sheer love that we owe our existence. Jesus thirsts for love freely given. To find our more, I have just opened a book to read, I Believe in Love a personal retreat based on the Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux, by Father Jean C.J. d’Elbee. Sophia Press
George H. Kubeck, Duplicate and or translate into Spanish.