From the Cardinal: As holy men and holy women, we are all called to be saints| September 13, 2024
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Vol. 6. No. 1
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
We Catholics believe that every human being is made in the image and likeness of God, and all of us—no matter who we are or what our personal history may be—are called to be holy.
What does it mean to be holy? According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church, “the desire for God is written in the human heart” (#27). We human beings are meant to search for God, to find him and to become united with him—both here on Earth and in our heavenly home.
Holiness is the quality of our union with God, the indication of our closeness to him. Holy women and men are close to God. That’s why we call them “saints,” which comes from the Latin word sanctus or holy.
In his encyclical Spe Salvi, “Saved by Hope,” Pope Benedict XVI writes: “Life is a voyage on the sea of history, often dark and stormy, a voyage in which we watch for the stars that indicate the route. The true stars of our life are the people who have lived good lives.” They are the lights of hope, the Holy Father writes, because they point us to Jesus Christ, “the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history” (#49).
Saints shine with the light of Christ. The Church has officially recognized many saints through a process that results in the solemn proclamation (canonization) that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God’s grace.
But during the last 2,000 years, many other holy women and men have given themselves wholeheartedly to Jesus Christ without being declared saints by the Church.
All of us are called to holiness, to closeness to God, but unfortunately, most of us find ourselves further away from God than we would like to be. That’s why Christ gives us the sacraments—especially the Eucharist and the sacrament of penance—to help us in our daily struggles on the way to holiness. We are all called to be close to God, but for many of us, the journey is a long and difficult one.
Thanks be to God, His grace and mercy are endless. Our loving and merciful God never gives up on us. Even after we die, we Christians believe that it is still possible to atone for our sins, to grow in holiness and to come closer to God. That’s why we pray for those who have died.
We are all called to become holy—both the living and the dead—and the grace of our Lord Jesus is not confined to this world but can reach even into the state of being we call purgatory, to touch the hearts of those “poor souls” who must undergo a process of purification before being fully united with God.
In our desire to be united with God, we look to the saints to show us the way. How do saints model for us the way to be close to God?
Obviously, through the witness of their daily lives, the choices they make, their willingness to sacrifice for the sake of others, and their devotion to Christ. Their words and examples are helpful guides to daily Christian living.
But what is the secret of their success in navigating the dark and stormy seas of life? Why are saints successful at living good and holy lives when so many of us struggle and fail?
The answer, I believe, is prayer. Saints are men and women who know how to pray, to be close to God and communicate with him from the heart. They are people who, in times of difficulty, as well as in good times, raise their minds and hearts to the Lord. The saints seek God’s will in their lives. They share with him their hopes and frustrations (and sometimes even their loneliness, anger and fear). Through their prayer and their attentive listening, even more than the words they speak, the holy men and women we call saints are in constant contact with God.
In his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, “On Holiness in Today’s World” (see selection below), Pope Francis admonishes us: “Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God’s grace. For in the words of León Bloy, when all is said and done, the only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint.”
As we recall the holy people—living and deceased—who serve as stars guiding us to Christ, let’s pray for the grace to let God’s love and mercy touch our hearts and bring us closer to him, who is our true heart’s desire.
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
Lumen Gentium
(A selection from the Dogmatic Constitution of the Church, Lumen Gentium, solemnly promulgated by his holiness Pope St. Paul VI, November 21, 1964)
CHAPTER V: THE UNIVERSAL CALL TO HOLINESS IN THE CHURCH
39. The Church, whose mystery is being set forth by this Sacred Synod, is believed to be indefectibly holy. Indeed, Christ, the Son of God, who, with the Father and the Spirit, is praised as “uniquely holy,” loved the Church as His bride, delivering Himself up for her. He did this that He might sanctify her. (214) He united her to Himself as His own body and brought it to perfection by the gift of the Holy Spirit for God’s glory. Therefore, in the Church, everyone, whether belonging to the hierarchy or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification.”(215)
However, this holiness of the Church is unceasingly manifested, and must be manifested, in the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful. It is expressed in many ways in individuals who, in their walk of life, tend toward the perfection of charity, thus causing the edification of others. In a very special way this (holiness) appears in the practice of the counsels, customarily called “evangelical.” This practice of the counsels, under the impulsion of the Holy Spirit, undertaken by many Christians, either privately or in a Church-approved condition or state of life, gives—must give—in the world an outstanding witness and example of this same holiness.
40. The Lord Jesus, the divine Teacher and Model of all perfection, preached holiness of life to each and every one of His disciples of every condition. He Himself stands as the author and consummator of this holiness of life: “Be you therefore perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect.”(216) Indeed, He sent the Holy Spirit upon all men that He might move them inwardly to love God with their whole heart, their whole soul, all their mind, and all their strength, (217) and that they might love each other as Christ loves them.(218) The followers of Christ are called by God, not because of their works, but according to His own purpose and grace. They are justified in the Lord Jesus because, in the baptism of faith, they truly become sons of God and sharers in the divine nature. In this way, they are really made holy. Then, too, by God’s gift, they must hold on to and complete in their lives this holiness they have received. They are warned by the Apostle to live “as becomes saints,”(219) and to put on “as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience,”(220) and to possess the fruit of the Spirit in holiness.(221) Since truly we all offend in many things, (222) we all need God’s mercies continually, and we all must daily pray: “Forgive us our debts.”(223)(3*)
Thus it is evident to everyone that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity. By this holiness, a more human manner of living is promoted in this earthly society. In order that the faithful may reach this perfection, they must use their strength accordingly, as they have received it, as a gift from Christ. They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor. In this way, the holiness of the People of God will grow into an abundant harvest of good, as is admirably shown by the life of so many saints in Church history.
A Message from Pope Francis: Words of Challenge and Hope
(A selection from the Apostolic Exhortation of Pope Francis, Gaudete et Exsultate (On Holiness in Today’s World))
31. We need a spirit of holiness capable of filling both our solitude and our service, our personal life and our evangelizing efforts, so that every moment can be an expression of self-sacrificing love in the Lord’s eyes. In this way, every minute of our lives can be a step along the path to growth in holiness.
32. Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality, or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when He created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity. We see this in Saint Josephine Bakhita: “Abducted and sold into slavery at the tender age of seven, she suffered much at the hands of cruel masters. But she came to understand the profound truth that God and not man, is the true Master of every human being, of every human life. This experience became a source of great wisdom for this humble daughter of Africa”.[30]
33. To the extent that each Christian grows in holiness, he or she will bear greater fruit for our world. The bishops of West Africa have observed that “we are being called in the spirit of the New Evangelization to be evangelized and to evangelize through the empowering of all you, the baptized, to take up your roles as salt of the earth and light of the world, wherever you find yourselves”.[31]
34. Do not be afraid to set your sights higher, to allow yourself to be loved and liberated by God. Do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God’s grace. For in the words of León Bloy, when all is said and done, “the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint”.[32]
My Prayer for You
Please join me in praying for vocations:
Father, you call each one
of us by name and ask us
to follow you.
Bless your Church by
raising up dedicated and
generous people who will grow
in holiness and use all your gifts to serve your people unselfishly.
Inspire us as we grow to
know you and help us to open our hearts
to hear your call.
We ask this in Jesus’ name.
Amen.