Homily on Sainthood

 
​“Remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.”​
Are we willing to give all, are we willing in a focused way to actively engage the Christian life, the universal call to holiness in such a way that reflects the words and example of St. John Baptist, St. Paul Miki and companions who said with their lives: “He must increase while I decrease.”
Is it unrealistic to want to have our own image on a stained glass window like this great cloud of witnesses, which once sat in pews like each of us? One hundred or two hundred years from now there is no reason why such shouldn’t be a reality for each of us. Each of us is called to the heights of holiness. So therefore I ask: Who here wants to be a saint? It’s not beyond us. Have we established a game plan for sainthood? Nobody enters a race with their mind set on getting 2nd place rather with determination they set out for #1. We need to be focused therefore in our pursuit of holiness.
Who here is content with their spiritual life as it is? Who here is content to entertain small personal vices or venial sins? For us who gather to celebrate the Eucharist the marriage bed, which we are exhorted to keep undefiled I would like to suggest is the altar where the love of Christ for his bride the Church is made flesh. How do we keep this bed sanctified for it is here that saints are born? Are we not as disciples committing spiritual fornication when we offer our hearts and minds to thoughts and actions, which impede our full participation in the Eucharist and a Eucharistic lifestyle? Have we given into a spirit of self-resignation in regard to our small vices? Could these be regarded as spiritual fornication or as a disregard for the ecclesial marriage bed where divine and human love is consummated? People don’t become saints by rationalizing their behavior but rather by loving the unlovable and allowing the unlovable within each of us to be loved.
Is there anyone in this community we wish to emulate, someone whose holiness stirs us on toward greater holiness? How are we adding to the roster of people from which we choose to emulate if we are not striving for greater sanctity ourselves. Let us take up the exhortation of last Sunday’s reading from Hebrews and provoke one another into sainthood. It would do us well in our commitment to discipleship to remember on a daily basis the words of John Paul the Great: “Do not be afraid, do not be content with mediocrity. Cast out into the deep”
There is no reason why we shouldn’t be numbered among the saints of the 3rd millennium. What a gift to the Church and to the world we would give if they had the pleasure of reading the books that could be written about our sanctity. Just think about it, one hundred or two hundred years down the road future Christians and non-Christians could possibly find their way to Christ and His Holy Catholic Church through the books written about our holiness.
It is in the Liturgy that the lives of the Saints are written. Such a story is waiting to be written about each one of us. It is here in this holy place that by God’s grace we begin to put the pen to paper.
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever and he continues to call us to be perfect as our Father in heaven is perfect. As we pursue perfection this morning let us draw closer to the example left for us by the saints and nourish our souls with the breakfast of champions, the Eucharist.