"My life is already being poured away as a libation, and the time has come for me to be gone. I have fought the good fight to the end; I have run the race to the finish; I have kept the faith; all there is to come now is the crown of righteousness reserved for me, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give to me on that Day; and not only to me but to all those who have longed for his Appearing.
But the Lord stood by me and gave me power, so that through me the whole message might be proclaimed for all the pagans to hear; and so I was rescued from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from all evil attempts on me, and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen."
- 2Tim 4:6-8 17-18
On the feast of Ss. Peter and Paul, I began reflecting on the second reading. How great must it have been for St. Paul to declare these words - to get to the end of his life and know that he had loved and served the Lord with all his heart, mind, soul and strength? Also, the amazing humility to acknowledge that it was not even his own strength but the grace of God at work through him?
Could we too, at the end of our lives, utter these words with such conviction and assurance? Could we say these words right now? For, we do not know when it will be our last day on earth.
As I sat in Mass, awaiting Holy Communion, my prayer to the Lord was "I want to love you more." After receiving the Blessed Eucharist, I knelt in my pew, closed my eyes and I didn't feel any different. I wanted to feel the love of the Lord wash over me. I wanted to feel His Presence within my soul. I longed to be like St. Teresa Of Avila in ecstasy or see visions of His burning Heart like St. Margaret Mary. Instead, Jesus gave me something much more precious - the key to becoming a Saint.
The Saints led extraordinary (and sometimes ordinary) lives, and each one had personality, characteristics and devotions. One thing they all had in common was their faithfulness. Feelings did not define any of their good works or convictions. They acted out of faithfulness to God and to the Church. It can be easy to say they acted out of a great feeling of love. But what about St. Mother Teresa? She had a profound darkness in her soul and was left without consolation for many years.
"God has not called me to be successful, He has called me to be faithful."
If our goal is to reach heaven and bring as many souls with us as we can, then faithfulness to God is all we need. I'm sure you already knew this in your mind, but it is another to live it every day with your whole being. I struggle to give my 'yes' every time Jesus asks for it, but I continue to run this race with St. Paul and all of you who are reading. It is a fight and a battle that will not be won until the end of our lives. Only then can we hope to hear the words: Well done, good and faithful servant. It is the prayer of my heart that I, and all of you, will hear these words, and together we will worship God for all eternity.
And so, here are the three steps to becoming a Saint:
1. Faithfulness in Prayer
If we are not faithful in the time we spend with the Lord, we can do nothing! It is only by his grace that we are able to resist temptation and grow in holiness. Keep in mind that I am not perfect, and I struggle amidst the busyness of everyday life to pray consistently. I often get to the end of the day feeling victorious that I managed to pray the Rosary, only to remember that challenge waits for me again tomorrow. The most important thing is that we enter each new day with an offering to the Lord: Please Lord, take my lousy best!
2. Faithfulness in Action
From our prayer, overflows all the works we are able to do. It is not just by serving others but by making sacrifices and truly imitating Jesus. He gave His life for us, and so we must do the same for others. Whatever state you are in life, you can do something to show the compassionate love of Jesus to the people around you.
3. Repeat
Every day we must offer Jesus our lives and allow Him to take over. We cannot rely on yesterday (and I say that from my own personal experience). Frequent the Sacraments and receive God's grace, because it it only through Him we will reach Heaven.
“Love God, serve God; everything is in that.” - St. Clare of Assisi