You have been born ….. to be a saint
“Life is very generous with its gifts but we judge them by their cover... We discard them because they seem ugly, heavy or difficult... If we remove the cover we’ll find underneath it a live Splendor knitted by Divine Wisdom with Love and Authority…”
Holiness (Sanctity), What is that?
“It is simply to fulfill the Will of God with happiness.” (John Paul II)
Indeed, when a man decides to leave the orbit of his selfishness and get on into the orbit of the Will of God he is a saint.
And what would be the will of God?
That we love Him with supreme love and that we love our neighbor as we love ourselves. Only in the horizon of these two loves: to God with all our soul and with all our being, and our neighbor for God, so that man can reach his full realization as a person. That is to say that in the end, without sanctity (holiness) there is no man, there is no person. Sanctity (holiness) is to carry out the will of God. To execute such a will depends on our true realization as a person, and consists of loving him with supreme love and loving our neighbor as ourselves.
This love of God and of neighbor for God, on which consists sanctity (holiness), should be lived in all circumstances of daily life, big or small; that is to say, through performing as honestly as possible our duties, as faithful as possible in our state of life, in the family, in the profession, in the work place, the study environment, our friendships, etc., SUSTAINED, most definitely, by a reachable and solid program of interior life: the Seven Basic points which we will present in the next sections.
Who are called To be Saints?
All men and women of every age, in all states of life, condition, talent, grade and profession.
“Keep in mind brothers and sisters that in the garden of the Lord there are not just the rocks of the martyrs, but also there are flowers like the Iris of the virgins, the Ivy of the married couples, and the Violets of the widows. No man, whatever be his walk in life, should ever forget his vocation to be a saint.” (Saint Augustine)
YOUR CALL TO SANCTITY!
" They, the Holy martyrs have imitated Him to the point of spilling their blood, they imitated His passion; but not just the martyrs; the bridges have not collapsed after the Saints crossed over them; the fountain has not dried after the saints drank from them. " (San Augustine)
Be saintly in your behavior, as the Bible says: You will be Saints, because I am a Saint “To me, therefore, you shall be sacred; for I, the LORD, am sacred, I, who have set you apart from the other nations.” (Lev 20, 26).
Why?
Because God loves you! Because the Saints are the greatest benefactors of humanity!
"You made us Lord for Yourself and our hearts will be restless until they rest in You." (Saint Augustine)
"In the end there is only one sadness; that of not being Saints.” (León Bloy)
"… We must continue to be firm in our conviction, because: life is short, the task difficult, the will of God always demanding, and the treasure that we would loose, unrecoverable. If in this life we are not holy, for all eternity we will never have the opportunity to become saints again.”
(Fr. Pablo Menor, S. J.)
What do I NEED to be Holy?
TO WANT TO BE!
If you want to be saved, you will be saved; if you want to take advantage of it, you will do it; if you want to, you will be perfect. "For will of God: neither God can without me, nor I without God." (Father Pablo Menor, S. J.)
"If you wish to be perfect… Here is the key: it lies in that you want to be; in that you really want it. God is always willing to help us: we have enough help through His grace! Jesus said to him, "If you wish to be perfect, go, sell what you have and give to (the) poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." (Mt 19,21)
"The principle fundamental idea to reach wisdom lies in the true and beloved desire of it. Glorious and unfading is Wisdom, and she is readily perceived by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. (Wisdom 6, 12)
WHERE I can practice Holiness?
In the home, at work, at rest, in school, in the multitude, alone, in your community.
"All the faithful Christians, in any condition of life, in any occupation or in any circumstance, and in fact by means of all this, can be sanctified day by day." (Lumen Gentium 5;41)
YOU CAN BE HOLY EVERYWHERE!
Therefore, you make and do everything for the glory of God as by eating, drinking, or doing any other thing. “So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for the glory of God.” (1Cor 10; 31)
Is this possible?
Yes, The Lord will give fruits through you, if you cooperate with His grace. Grace is received through repentance, confession, communion, prayer,the sacraments, the Gospel, good works, faith, hope, and love.
We hold this treasure in clay pots so that it appears that the extraordinary greatness of the power is from God and that it doesn't come from us. “ But we hold this treasure in earthen vessels, that the surpassing power may be of God and not from us.” (2 Cor 4, 7)
But is it truly FOR ME?
Yes, Sanctity is for you. It is not for specially elected people. Sanctity is for ordinary people who carry out with joy, each one on his/her own road, the will of God, in faith and truth.
"You are invited, even more so, obligated; all faithful Christians must look insistently for holiness and perfection within your own state of life." (Lumen Gentium 5, 42 )
What should I do?
" Be faithful within your state of life: married, single, consecrated or priest.
" Be faithful to your Holy Mother Church: to the sacraments, to the commandments, to the doctrine, and to its teaching.
" Take care of your professional activities: it is not possible to believe in the sanctity of those who neglect their professional, labor, civic responsibilities.
" Observe the Beatitudes: a compendium of holiness.
"Love and be interested in the interests of others: "the use of the soul is not in pondering or meditating a lot, but in loving a lot" (Saint Terese of Jesus). This allows Jesus to shine and glow in your life.
" Do in an extraordinary way, the ordinary things in your daily lives and always for the love of God. Great Holiness lies in completing those "small duties" of each instant of our lives (Camino, n. 8 17).
" Familiarize yourselves with the lives of the saints
All that there which is of truth, of nobleness, of kindness, of purity. . . keep all this it in mind. “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” (Phil.4:8)
A.M.T.G.
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