St. Therese of Lisieux, St. Anthony of Padua, St. Kateri
Tekewitha, St. Maria Goretti, St. Joseph…
Our band director: St. Kyle of Cottleville…
St. Danny… patron of youth ministers…
Wouldn’t that be wonderful? We’re called to be saints,
right?
St. Anthony Gerber… I like the sound of that….
* * *
For the past week, I didn’t know what to tell you about all the saints. I mean, how does a
priest preach about all the graces of
all the saints? Or even, how can I tell you about all the ways that God helps
us to become saints? So many stories, so many graces!
Well, on Friday night, God helped me out.
I was standing at the center line of the soccer field at
Tony Glavin’s soccer complex (… St. Tony Glavin…) I was with a bunch of my brother priests (…
and perhaps future saints!). We were practicing for the upcoming Souls and
Goals soccer game between priests and seminarians.
So, practice on Friday… We had been scrimmaging for a full hour and a
half and there I was at mid-field, dribbling the ball. One of the guys came in
with a good tackle and stole it away. Typically, I’d go run it down, but I had
nothing left, not even for one more run. It was all in the hands of my defense
now. At which point Father Schroeder (…St. Father Schroeder!...) swooped in and
saved the day.
In this moment, something struck me as I stood huffing
and puffing at mid-field. I realized that I couldn’t do it all by myself. Scoring
goals and defending goals requires that I rely on others, on their talents and
on the graces that God has given them. In other words, I was on a team and I
needed to trust the team.
St. Theresa Avila put it this way (and I paraphrase): At
the early stage of our spiritual life, when we are still absorbed in worldly
affairs and engulfed in pleasures and honors and ambitions, we must take every
opportunity to call upon our blessed Mother and the saints, so that they may do battle for us, since we often
have little strength for defending ourselves. (Interior Castle, trans. Peers, p. 16).
* * *
It’s so easy to think that we are alone, that the
darkness is winning, and that becoming a saint is impossible. So often, it
seems we’re standing at the mid-field of life, weak and with little strength to
fight temptation, much less to sacrifice for others. It’s in that moment
that we are called to realize that we are not alone! We are on a team!
And it’s not just some future team out there some where.
We hear of the great crowd surrounding the throne of the lamb… That’s here!
Right here at this Holy Mass. The saints—Peter and Justin and Bridget and Lucy,
to name just a few—the saints are gathered around here, the throne which is the
altar and the Lamb which is Jesus. We heard the four creatures calling out—that’s
the four Gospels right here. And the elders—that’s the priests. The saints are
really with us and especially right now!
Here in the pews with us is St. Monica. She wept for her
husband and her son’s conversion for years. She will help you who are grieving family
and friends who have fallen away.
St. Thomas More: he knew very well the governmental
problems of his day. And yet he kept the faith and stayed hopeful, even unto
martyrdom! He will help us as we see the battles within our nation.
Do you sometimes struggle with doubt? Did you know that
St. Therese of Lisieux did too? Or that Mother Theresa did not have one
consolation for over thirty years? Go to them if you feel dry or lost in your
faith.
Students: I forget who, but I heard a saint say that
studying is crucifixion at a desk. Pope St. John Paul II knew this well when he
had to do his studies literally underground as the Nazi’s and then the
Communists occupied his country. He can help you with your pre-Calc homework, I
promise!
St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Damian Molokai, St. Rita, St.
Bernadette….
Brothers and sisters, our
team is stacked!
So do not be afraid! The saints will help us as lights do on
a runway, guiding us as we try to land this plane in the darkness. The saints
help to light our way when times are dark. They will help us!
* * *
And why? Because they love us.
They see in you someone who is exactly where they once
were: someone who faces the struggles of life, the burdens of sin, the darkness
of the world, the disappointments and the fears…. And they came here, just like
you now are, at Holy Mass, asking God, pleading with Him—and maybe even hearing
about the saints who came before them and who preserved and did great things
with God’s grace.
Perhaps they heard what I now tell you: that in heaven
one of the joys will be for us to meet our holy friends the saints who have
helped us along the way.
That thought gives me pause.
You see, we’re on the same field—those saints and us. We’re
on the same field! Heaven and earth here, one.
We are all of us playing the same game, fighting the same
opponent, working towards the same goal!
So I don’t have to wait until heaven to work side-by-side
with them. We’re actually doing this together right now! St. Thomas More… he’s
right there behind me. St. Ignatius is up there, leading the way. St. Maria to
my left, and St. Therese on my right…
I am never alone. I’m on a team!
Let us remember the saints and call on them. Ask them to help
you!
Because you see, you too are being called to be a saint.
St. Kyle, St. Danny, St. Anthony… all on the same team, themselves lead by amazing saints who have come before.
And when we respond, know that there will be saints who follow you just as we
have been inspired by those holy men and women who have come before us. A great
litany of saints following behind you!
Saints—sitting at your left and at your right, behind you
and before you….
All you holy saints of God, pray for us!
Great! Go Saints!
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