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The Call To Become A Saint
Andrews Obeng, svd

Saints are not special breed of human beings who migrate from heaven to earth in a parachute. They are made here on earth and exported to heaven. Becoming a saint is not a luxury; it is a necessity. Heaven is for saints only and as St. Therese of Lisieux would say, “You cannot be a half saint; you must be a whole saint or no saint at all.”

The author of the Book of Revelation narrates a vision of a great multitude of saints from every nation, race, people and tongue (Rev. 1:9). Such a vision inspires hope. Every human being is a potential saint. However, sainthood is not about ‘feeling’ holy. It is about becoming holy. It is a conscious decision to cultivate and imbibe a godly value system.

In our Gospel text, Jesus goes up the mountain as Moses did (cf. Ex. 19-24) and delivers a sermon that gives us an insight into the quality of sanctity that characterises the lives of saints. The sermon is traditionally referred to as “The Beatitudes”. He addresses his disciples saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit… those who mourn… the meek… those who hunger and thirst for righteousness… the merciful…the pure in heart…the peacemakers…those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness…those who are falsely accused on account of me” (Mt. 5:3-11). He then adds, “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven (Mt. 5:12).

When we live the values of the Beatitudes, we can confidently say, “Beloved, we are God's children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is” (1Jn 3:2).

No one becomes a saint overnight. It is the product of daily choices made in the light of faith. It is choosing to persevere in virtue in the midst of vice. It is deciding not just to call upon the name of Jesus but to become like Jesus. It is not enough talking about saints, we must take decisions to become one.

Saints are human beings who persevere in the grace God. They are people who rise up after every fall, and keep going until they attain their goal. St. John Vianney rightly said: “The saints did not all begin well, but they ended well.”

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