Our Need for Simple Saints
By Thandi Chindove,
There is a priest I love to go to for Confession and every time I’m there he asks me, “Do you want to be a Saint?” The first time he said it, I laughed in surprise. I assured him that I did and he proceeded with his counsel. When he asked in my next confession, I started to think differently about my day to day life. Jesus tells his disciples time and time again that the road to heaven is difficult. As I look on everything going wrong in our world I wonder where today’s saints are and if I could be amongst them. I have seen many Instagram posts proclaiming that now is the time for modern day saints to set the world on fire and these messages inspire me for a few seconds, until the next post takes its place.
Most days, I want nothing more than to put my feet up and not have to worry about the long game, to live a life comfortable and satisfied by putting in the minimum amount of effort. Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI famously addressed this desire saying, “...you were not made for comfort. You were made for greatness.” Instead of taking up the world’s offer of comfort, my confessor’s words challenge me to go beyond what is easy, in order to grow in virtue. Maybe that is why I am so encouraged by the lives of the Saints. They have done the seemingly impossible: surviving life in this broken world and making it to heaven.
I often wonder about my life, and whether or not I will be a saint. As of now, I have yet to see the heavens opening and a dove descending with the key to my canonization. Amazing as that would be, what is expected of us is much simpler. The Catechism puts it perfectly:
‘The Church on earth is endowed already with a sanctity that is real though imperfect.’ In her members perfect holiness is something yet to be acquired: ‘Strengthened by so many and such great means of salvation, all the faithful, whatever their condition or state––though each in his own way––are called by the Lord to that perfection of sanctity by which the Father himself is perfect’ (CCC, 825).
The grace of sanctity and the gifts of the Holy Spirit are available to each of us, if we are open to allowing God to lead us. The problem is sin separates us from God, preventing us from receiving these gifts. Further, we can become overwhelmed by the cumulative brokenness of the people around us––it can feel like every news report is a reminder of humanity’s corruption. In times like these, God can raise up saints who perform incredible miracles or are publicly celebrated while alive, but what is needed just as badly are the simple, every day saints.
One of my favourite saints is St. Tabitha from the Book of Acts. Tabitha was an early Christian widow who Scripture describes as being “completely occupied with good deeds and almsgiving” (Acts 9:36). She lived in a town called Joppa for a time, before falling ill and dying. Her community laid her body in the upper room and sent for St. Peter, who came and raised her from the dead. News of the miracle spread, and many people converted to the faith.
Her story is easy to breeze through and forget, but a few years ago, its power struck me. Throughout Acts, we learn about how special Tabitha was to the people around her, how she responded to their needs by giving them her companionship as well as her sewing skills. Not only did her presence move and comfort the widows around her (who, at that time, were amongst the most neglected in society) but her presence also impacted the men, so much so that when she died their faith called them into action.
These simple gifts changed Tabitha’s community. Through her gift of self, God was able to work a miracle that converted others, giving her a permanent place in Scripture, though, I would guess, that was never her aim. Her example is a response to the call to love that had been placed in her heart and moved those in her community to put their faith into action too.
St. Teresa of Calcutta said, “God has not called me to be successful. He has called me to be faithful.” It is easy to get caught up in the extraordinary displays of faith, when it’s true that any act of faith can be extraordinary. For many of us, our sanctity may not be in mysticism, but in our careers or vocations––as midwives, teachers, industry professionals, and stay at home mothers––offering what we have so God can put it towards something great. Other times, it will be found in daily tasks: washing the dishes, folding the laundry, doing our best in assignments and work projects, and the way we treat our neighbors, family, and children.
My eyes can be so fixed on doing something extraordinarily holy that I forget to be the Good Samaritan to the people in my own home. A saint who motivates me to care for those around me is St. Frances of Rome, a patron of widows and travellers. She wanted to become a nun but her father denied her wish and arranged for her to be married into a wealthy family. As a wife and mother, she cared for her family and, during a famine, she gave what she had to the poor. While she did have mystical experiences, I find myself in awe of the ordinary ways that she humbled herself to serve those around her. And though her life had many tragedies, she found motivation in her desire to do God’s will. That same grace is available to us and will likely manifest itself in similarly simple ways.
Both the ordinary and the extraordinary saints are essential for leading others to heaven. What all of them have in common is living their faith through friendship, prayer, and frequenting the Sacraments. They were present to those around them and served them as best they could. When we look to the world and are overcome by everything that is wrong, it can be an opportunity to pause and ask: what are daily acts of faith I can do to make a difference?
God has called us to become holy right here and right now, and we must use the daily opportunities he gives us to become saints. If we can do that well, God can build upon whatever we have to offer. Few of us will be canonized on earth, but there are more simple saints in heaven than we know. If we allow God to lead us in the small but extraordinary acts of faith, He will lead us home to be united with our brothers and sisters, the saints.
