The Saints

This morning I have been thinking about the lives of the saints. In the Magnificat which is a publication I subscribe to, we have the daily Mass readings, evening prayer, articles and they write about the life of the saint celebrated on the day.

The thing that they all have in common is the struggle they faced and the sufferings they went through. I don’t think any of them had an easy life and when they have, they usually give most of their possessions away and live in poverty serving the poor.

Jesus said: ‘ it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven’ (Matthew 19:24). This is a difficult teaching for us to understand and carry through. Of course, we need enough for our own lives as we have to support ourselves and our families otherwise we become a burden on society. I don’t think that this means we give everything away. It just asks us to not store up surplus when others are going without; not to worship worldly things as this can get in the way of our love of God.

The saints could focus on God because they chose to live a life that allowed them to do that. Similarly, we all have that choice to make. How much we store up for ourselves and how much we give of ourselves and our possessions so that we can embrace a more christian life and draw closer to God.

In some countries, christians are being persecuted and killed for their faith. I was questioning myself today about whether I would be prepared to die for my faith and it did worry me about what my response would be when faced with the situations they are finding themselves in. We need to pray for that strength so that we can be ready if it should ever happen to us and stand up for our beliefs when attacked. This is happening more and more and not just physically, but as society becomes more ‘free to do whatever it feels like’ we may find ourselves being challenged more and more. Stand strong!

God bless,

1 Corinthians 16:13

Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.

Isaiah 41:10

 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.