Newsletter - November
SANCTITY FOR ALL
On the feast of St. Francis, 4 October, I had the chance to mention this saint to an Orthodox. The first thing that the person asked me was: ?Which miracles did Francis work??
Very often, people identify sanctity with miracles, with wonders, extraordinary actions, which make a person exceptional in their eyes. For many of them it seems that the saints were born already saints, that they had special privileges from God since they were children. Saints are thought not to belong to the common life of human beings.
On the other hand, those who have no faith consider the saints as fanatics, extremists, radicals. Moderation is a virtue preached by the world when they speak of religion, dedication to the Lord, or of sanctity, for that matter, while everything that concerns God and our relation with him, is relegated to the secrecy of one?s personal life; it is one?s own business.
What is sanctity?
To answer this question we must start from the beginning, and the beginning is our baptism. All baptised in Christ are called to live in Him and with Him: we are ?consecrated in Christ Jesus and called to be God?s holy people.? (1 Cor 1: 2).
Our baptism separates us from sin and every evil, while the seed of faith is implanted in us by the Lord. This makes us consecrated in Jesus; this is our vocation to sanctity. To live this consecration, this vocation is the ideal, which is confronted with the conflicts, the temptations, the cross of our every day life. The grace of God, our faith and the effort of our will must be united in order to overcome these difficulties. In this work we are inspired by the Gospel and we are guided by the Holy Spirit. As a consequence, a saint is the person who perseveres all throughout his life in this practice, and this can be done by everybody.
The exceptionality of sanctity is to be faithful to the Gospel, relying on the will of God: ?Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God - what is good and acceptable and perfect? (Rm 12: 2). All this is understood if we think of the dynamism of love: God the Father and His Son took the initiative to love us, without any merit of ours. And since love kindles love, the answer to God?s love cannot be but love: a total love towards Him who loved us first, and all those whom He loves.
My answer to the person who questioned me about St. Francis and his miracles, was: St Francis loved God over all creatures; that was the greatest miracle he performed in his entire life.
OUR GOD IS A DISCONCERTING GOD.
God does unexpected things. Jesus himself was always quite surprising in his attitudes, his actions and his words. He scandalised the crowds and profoundly amazed his friends when he spoke of his body to be eaten, of his blood to be drunk. He disconcerted the rich young man who wanted to follow him, saying that he had to give up everything. We are accustomed to say that violence is bad. Jesus went further and he told us to love our enemies, with no exceptions. Many are still surprised by his commandment of love. And they are disconcerted listening to him saying that the poor are blessed, that the little ones are the first in his kingdom, that the last are the first?..
And how surprised were the disciples when Jesus went down on his knees and washed their feet, he, the Master and the Lord! And what a joy on the Day after the Sabbath, the Day of the Resurrection! He is alive! He is truly alive!