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It is clear today that, for young people, saints are fascinating—think of Francis of Assisi and José of Anchieta, Juan Diego and Theresa of the Child Jesus, Rose of Lima and Bakhita, Kisito and Maria Goretti, Father Kolbe and Mother Theresa and the theatrical works, films, comic strips, recitals, concerts and muscials that re-create their stories. Their example calls each Christian to be a pilgrim on the pathway of beauty, truth, good, in journeying to the Celestial Jerusalem where we will contemplate the beauty of God in a relation full of love, face-to-face. “There, we will rest and we will see; we will see and we will love, we will love and we will praise. Such will be the end, without end.” (The Via Pulchritudinis, III.1, emphasis added)
As Catholics, our devotion and admiration of the saints can be disturbing to most Protestants and sometimes it even gives scandal to our fellow Catholics. When our homes are filled with statues and pictures of holy men and women, the average visitor might be misled and believe we are worshiping false idols. It could even look like we love the saints more than Jesus. Yet, that is far from the truth. In fact, the saints are the ones who lead us to Christ and a more devout love of God. In doing so, they are both intercessors and examples.
Intercessors
First of all, being devoted to particular saints should lead us to beseech their intercession. We have faith and confidence that they are in Heaven and can intercede for us to the Father. They have “run the race” and now desire to help us, to “cheer” us on so that we too may reach the end. Their joy overflows in Heaven and look upon us as their fellow brothers and sisters and want us to participate in that joy. However, we must ask in order to receive their aid and so we must do our part and ask them to be a part of our lives.
The saints want to help us, not for their own sake or so that they may have a good reputation on earth, but simply because they want us to follow Christ, who is the source of all joy and peace.
Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.
I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth. (Saint Therese of Lisieux)
Examples
Secondly, their lives prove to be encouraging examples for us on the “narrow road” to Salvation. As I have said before, the Christian life can sometimes be discouraging and we can often feel alone. We become helpless and think we can never become a saint or ever get to Heaven. At best, we aim for Purgatory, hoping that God will have mercy on us and at least grant us a purifying fire rather than the fire of condemnation. Yet if we truly follow the lives of the saints, we will find a saint that is encouraging to us in particular.
That is the very reason Saint John Paul II beatified 1,340 people and canonized 483 saints. He wanted to show the world that sanctity is possible and to provide for us a wide array of men and women to follow.
And that is exactly the point, the saints are examples for us to follow, not ends in themselves. They are meant to inspire us by their Christ-like example and to encourage us that it is possible to follow Christ’s call to pick up our cross and follow Him. In essence, the closer we examine and grow in love of a saint, the closer we will be drawn into a deep love of God. A healthy love of the saints naturally leads to a healthy love of Jesus Christ.
The Virgin Mary and the saints are the luminous reflection and attractive witness of the singular beauty of Christ, beauty of infinite love of God who gives Himself and makes Himself known to men. These reflect, each according to their manner, as prisms of a crystal, faces of a diamond, contours of a rainbow, the light and original beauty of the God of Love; man’s holiness is participation in the holiness of God and by it His beauty. When this is fully welcomed into the heart and spirit, it illuminates and guides the lives of men and women in their daily actions. (The Via Pulchritudinis, III.3, emphasis added)
I will end with a popular quote that sums up why we should all strive to be saints and why they should have a place in our lives:
[T]he first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian life, given over to God in a communion that nothing should destroy and at the same time given to one’s neighbor with limitless zeal. … Modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses. (Pope Paul VI, Evangelii Nuntiandi)
For us frail human beings, sometimes the Gospel isn’t enough. Sometimes we need to see the Gospel in living flesh and lived out in the world.