The “Biggest” Job Description We Can All Live Into!!!
To be a “Saint” is probably not something to which most people aspire.. a job description most of us probably feel a bit intimidated by!?!? And yes.. if what that means is that you and I are supposed to head out into the world with the intent of being the next Saint Francis of Assisi or the next Mother Theresa, well that would be a rather large set of footprints to try to fill. (It is notable I think to point out that neither of them likely had “sainthood” on their “to do list” either.)
In fact.. the facts are that even a quick read over the average “saint’s” bio (official/church saints) surprisingly reads either like a rather ordinary boring life or maybe even kind of unflatteringly right up until… until they took that one risk… they stepped up that first time… they let that stuff percolating inside them translate into action. The miracle being that one first act became a second, and then a third... and then a lifestyle… and then a life.
The odd part is that we know! We know how little it takes to have someone touch us in a caring and compassionate way that makes the “cold, dark world” out there feel suddenly so much less cold and miraculously hope-filled. We know how powerful those simple acts of tenderness or attention can reach into our hearts and bring healing to those most wounded places within us. We know… and can all tell stories of… how it felt that time that person we didn’t think cared, did that little thing, that in indescribable ways lifted us out of the lonely place we were in and brought us back to life. And for sure… in that moment did that person feel every bit as much a “saint” to us as a Francis of Assisi??? Absolutely!!! Did that moment feel “holy” in the deepest of ways??? Absolutely!!
And so “the word” for today is obvious! A true saint is not always the one who lived a whole life of perfection or miraculous acts of grace. A true saint… the saint most valuable to us… is the one who cared for you yesterday and resurrected you from that feeling of death with which you were struggling. A true saint is that person who today did that thing you didn’t expect but made the world of difference to your journey. And for each of them we give you thanks O God!! We give thanks with such grateful and moved hearts that when those simplest/holy moments plop themselves in our way… we too will let ourselves become “saints”… for at least a moment!
- Pr. Stewart – Oct 31/19 “All Saint’s Day Eve” (All Hallows Eve)
