21st Sunday after Pentecost 17.10.10 (Mary MacKillop canonisation, taking precedence over the 21st Sunday)
Our first Australian-born saint is to be canonised today. Why has it taken this long to produce a saint in Australia? Or why are there so few saints relative to the number of Catholics in the world? A saint is one in a million (give or take).
Yet we are all called to be disciples of Our Lord; all called to be saints. There must be a lot of lost potential out there. There should be more people rising to the occasion.
Undoubtedly the surrounding standard does affect us. If we lived with St Teresa of Avila, or St Francis of Assisi, for example, we would probably behave a lot better. Conversely if we lived with a group of criminals, our standard of behaviour would drop.
All of us together set the average. What ‘most people do’ is what becomes the norm. The bar can get lower and lower; I think it is lying on the ground by now! What does one have to do to be a saint when even going to Mass once a week is seen as above-average commitment?
Many today believe salvation is achieved simply by the love of God lifting us into heaven; without any action or even repentance required on our part.
With this minimalist approach the talk of sainthood turns to saying that we are all saints. We are all good, or at least good enough.
The pressure is on us to conform to the general standard around us; conform downwards if necessary.
Anyone trying to be better than one’s neighbours will be accused of being a religious nut, a hypocrite... who do you think you are?
Granted religious observance can be hypocritical, but that does not mean we should abandon the observance. We want to be genuinely holy, not just appearing to be so.
Holiness, though demanding, should not have to be achieved through clenched teeth. St Dominic, for example, was always cheerful. Sainthood is not having a long face and censuring everyone else.
But the other extreme and current popular formula will not work either: just letting everything else go. Don’t ever presume to tell anyone else what to do or not to do. This is the ‘new charity’.
The saints in history were not afraid to correct error; to admonish the sinner.
Sainthood, in summary - when all extremes have been levelled out - is doing things in a Christlike way. It is being holy in oneself; performing not for others but to Christ’s expectations; being genuinely charitable; dealing with every person and situation in exactly the right way, with no excessive harshness; everything exactly as it should be.
We should desire to be saints. Not necessarily seeking canonisation; not looking for recognition as such. But yes, we should want to be canonised if it helps others to love God and gives greater honour to Him.
If people can use our lives as an example then that is good. Not for reasons of conceit, but for service.
Should we be competitive in holiness? I want to be holier than I was until today, not necessarily holier than you. If you are holier than I am so much the better. In any case all of us should be looking to improve.
We will be tempted to ease off; to run only as fast as the pack; just cruising.
Obligation is important but real love will push further. Think of Romeo and Juliet. Would you tell Romeo that he has to see Juliet one hour a week on Sunday? And that was all he had to do to please her?
He would want to see her as much as possible, and that is how we should be with God.
Obligations should be seen as just the minimum. True love takes us further and further still. If we really love God we never stop wanting to do more in His service. This is the mark of the canonised saint.
St Mary MacKillop, help us to be saints in our part of the world.
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