Recognizing Sanctity

My kind and generous mother-in-law has given hubby and I our very own copies of Making God the Joy of Our Soul, which is a book filled with inspiring homilies by Father McLean Cummings.  I have slowly been reading through them, though not in the order in which they are organized.  I've been picking from the Table of Contents based on subject matter.  I thought I would share about one that really spoke to me about Recognizing Sanctity in Others.

"There aren't perhaps many great saints among us that we don't realize, but there certainly are many potential saints that perhaps we don't realize.  We don't think of them as what they are, truly potential saints in the making.  Because we know each other so well, the faults and failings are all around us, we get used to each other, especially in families.  One doesn't seem to think of these as truly, truly potential saints because we know their faults.  But we have to remember that even sinners, of course, are potential saints.  We have to remind them of this too, that God has created you to be holy.  In a thousand different way, especially the way we treat them, we have to make this known, that God expects each and every one of us to be truly, truly holy."

I didn't hear anything remotely like this growing up and am so thankful for my Catholic faith as an adult.  I've had to rely upon book after book to teach me how to be holy so that I can teach my children.  As parents, we are our child's first educators and we must be aware that we will be held accountable to God in what we teach or did not teach our children.  Of course, learning holiness can be as easy as opening up the Bible and reading God's Word.  What role models we have in the New Testament in Jesus, Peter and Paul, just to name a few.  The saints are also my favorite role models because they come from all walks of life and have  attained the holiness that God expects.  Besides, they are in Heaven!  What better people to pray for me than those who are with Jesus in Heaven and can intercede on my behalf!  I can't but think what a difference this world would be if we all treated each other as sacred individuals and if all parents taught their children that God has created each one of them holy and that, yes, that can be saints!

"We ourselves too mustn't fall into the same error, getting so used to ourselves and our failings and our habits, that we think that is is more or less about as good as I'll ever be.  This would be false humility.  We too are called to be saints.  When we come into contact with people throughout our day, our only goal should be that that contact, help them along this road towards sanctity.  Because it's truly, truly possible.  We have to help each other, in particular, to suffer well, that's a way to holiness, and to pray well." 

Two things came to mind when I read the paragraph above.  One, it is not God that tells us that we are as good as we are going to be.  That voice would be from the devil because he is the one who doesn't want us to attain holiness.  It is a temptation we must all defeat!  St. Michael, pray for us!!  Secondly, I am reminded of the end of the Litany of Humility that asks Jesus to grant us that "that others become holier than I, provided that I may become as holy as I should."  I love this prayer and actually have it hanging on the back of my bathroom door.  It is not easy to be humble because our pride gets in the way in so many ways.  Again, if only others could be convinced of their sacred worth and holiness.  What a different world we would live in!


I'm sure there is more waiting to be shared by Father Cummings.  Stay tuned!  :)