by Br. Nicholas Hejka, O.S.B. 

     The Glossary of the Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a saint as “The ‘holy one’ who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ and receives the reward of eternal life.”  Therefore, the main difference between the saints and ourselves is that they have already received what we hope to receive from God in the future.  Thus, the majority of what it means to be a saint begins here and now; we are all saints in the making!

     In the Gospel Reading (the Beatitudes), Jesus shows us what it looks like when we “[lead] a life in union with God through the grace of Christ.”  Such a person will be poor in spirit, will mourn the brokenness and waywardness of the world, will be meek, will hunger and thirst for righteousness, will be merciful, will be clean of heart, will be a peacemaker, and will face unjust persecution with confidence in God.

    If we really take Jesus’ teaching seriously, this can seem like a very daunting goal.  However, we do not need to be afraid; since God created each of us to be a saint and spend eternity with Him, we can confidently rely on His grace to strive for these things.  It is a mistake to think we have to bring ourselves to a level of holiness before we can come to God.  The truth is that God is always with us and always at work in us, and we cannot do anything without Him!  No matter how far we may be from what God wants for us, it is our relationship with Him that will lead to a transformed life. Furthermore, it is important to realize that each choice, no matter how small, is a new opportunity to follow God’s lead and step toward the sainthood He has prepared for us.

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