Fidelity The common thread in the lives of all the saints was their fidelity to our Lord. The saints came from every state in life - but whether they were a man, woman, or child; a Jew, German, or Indian; poor, rich or royal - every saint was faithful until the end. The lives of the saints have so much to teach our youth about persevering in faith, about living for God above all else and about developing a friendship with Christ that will give them the strength to persevere. Each saint has a unique story which makes reading about their lives so interesting. They lived in cities, monasteries and even in prison. Some were priests, monks or nuns, while others were lay men, women or children. They came from all walks of life including doctors, lawyers, teachers, farmers and mothers. Many were martyrs, while others died of sickness or old age. The saints lived their life open to God’s will and faith in following it. We look at their lives and cannot help but develop a tremendous yearning to possess their joy and to live as they did - with Christ.
This month the Church celebrates a unique feast, “All Saints Day”, remembering all the saints that are known and unknown.
“The Saints are not a small caste of chosen souls but an innumerable crowd to which the liturgy urges us to raise our eyes. This multitude not only includes the officially recognized Saints, but the baptized of every epoch and nation who sought to carry out the divine will faithfully and lovingly. We are unacquainted with the faces and even the names of many of them, but with the eyes of faith we see them shine in God’s firmament like glorious stars.” Pope Benedict XVI, Holy Mass on the Solemnity of All Saints 2006
It is also a time to remember that special call God gives to each of us to become saints and live eternally with Him in heaven. Becoming a saint does not require us to be theological scholars or perform extraordinary tasks. What is necessary is that we listen to Jesus and then follow him, without losing heart when faced with difficulties. We become holy by taking the focus off of ourselves and living for God. This is something essential that we need to be able to communicate to the young people of today. Many of them are searching for the meaning of life, the real essence of “WHY”. Looking at the lives of the canonized saints is a great way to witness to what is possible when we accept Christ as our “WHY”. They show that living a life for Christ can be an exciting adventure and something that makes life worth living!
To know God’s will is the greatest knowledge. To find God’s will is the greatest discovery. But, above all, to follow God’s will is the greatest achievement.
Promoting Vocations 101
Encourage – supporting all young people by providing means to grow in generosity and sincerity will enable them to discover God's will in their life and follow it.
Encourage our youth to aim high. So often our society sells the youth short – telling them that they can’t live by morals or make heroic decisions to live for God. “Kids will be kids” sends a message that they are programmed to fall short of our expectations. As vocation promoters we can work to turn that around and foster the ambition that youth have to live for a great mission – to be faithful disciples of Christ. They are called to be saints and they need to know that! Our youth are more than capable. They just have to be taught and trusted. They need to be given the opportunity to develop an intimacy with Christ as a real, living person who will guide them. They need to see Him as the one friend that will never let them down.
The youth believe they can conquer the world. Guess what? They can! All of that enthusiasm needs to be channeled to build the Kingdom of God. The best thing we can do is to give them opportunities to grow in generosity by serving others, which will allow them to see what a difference they can make. We must encourage them to discover the true meaning of life and how fulfilling living for God is.
Quote Corner:
“The priestly and religious vocation is inconceivable unless the Christian vocation has already been aroused and fostered.” Pope Paul IV World Day of Prayer 1970
Monthly Mission:
Invite a young person to grow in their interior life by participation in an activity that is going to increase their generosity.
