This is just some of what Pope Francis said about Saints

After saying “Holiness is the most attractive face of the Church” in his teaching about “Holiness in Today’s World,” he continues to speak about the holiness of “All Saints and the “Saints Next Door”

“These witnesses may include our own mothers, grandmothers or other loved ones (cf. 2 Tim 1:5). Their lives may not always have been perfect, yet even amid their faults and failings they kept moving forward and proved pleasing to the Lord.” (# 9)

“The important thing is that each believer discern his or her own path, that they bring out the very best of themselves, the most personal gifts that God has placed in their hearts (cf. 1 Cor  12:7), rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for them. We are all called to be witnesses, but there are many actual ways of bearing witness.(# 11)

To recognize the word that the Lord wishes to speak to us through one of his saints, we do not need to get caught up in details, for there we might also encounter mistakes and failures. Not everything a saint says is completely faithful to the Gospel; not everything he or she does is authentic or perfect. What we need to contemplate is the totality of their life, their entire journey of growth in holiness, the reflection of Jesus Christ that emerges when we grasp their overall meaning as a person.(# 22)

We can believe Pope Francis if we believe Jesus in Matthew 25

Pope Francis roots what he said in “THE GREAT CRITERION”

95. In the twenty-fifth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel (vv. 31-46), Jesus expands on the Beatitude that calls the merciful blessed. If we seek the holiness pleasing to God’s eyes, this text offers us one clear criterion on which we will be judged.

“I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you took care of me, I was in prison and you visited me” (vv. 35-36)”

Holiness in the details of our lives

In paragraph #144 he writes…

Let us not forget that Jesus asked his disciples to pay attention to details.

• • The little detail that wine was running out at a party.
  • The little detail that one sheep was missing.
  • The little detail of noticing the widow who offered her two small coins.
  • The little detail of having spare oil for the lamps, should the bridegroom delay.
  • The little detail of asking the disciples how many loaves of bread they had.
  • The little detail of having a fire burning and a fish cooking as he waited for the disciples at daybreak

Food for thought

• Have I thought that saintly holiness is out of my reach?
• Have I ever thought of holiness in terms of what Jesus said about the last judgment?
• What are the “little details” I don’t pay attention to… and could pay attention to?