Saint Pope John Paul II in keeping with the example of his risen Lord was always telling people to “be not afraid” in a variety of ways.
As he began his pontificate, he began it by his own admission in his inaugural homily with a sense of his own unworthiness, with fear and trepidation. But trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ, he entered into it anyway.
And then he turned to us in his homily and said, “Brothers and sisters, do not be afraid to welcome Christ and accept his power. Help the Pope and all those who wish to serve Christ and with Christ’s power to serve the human person and the whole of mankind. Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ. To his saving power open the boundaries of States, economic and political systems, the vast fields of culture, civilization and development. Do not be afraid. Christ knows “what is in man”. He alone knows it.”
Throughout his pontificate he was telling us to be not afraid to be holy, to be saints, to do what is right and just.
The Catholic Church exists to make us saints, an instrument to conform us to the image of Christ. The Church is our mother, feeding us, teaching us, encouraging us, comforting us, disciplining and correcting us.
And often the Church itself is the source of the suffering which forms and shapes as we hopefully recovering sinners inflict damage on each other through our pride, our sin and our lack of forgiveness, faith, love, hope, trust, humility, you name it. Saint John of the Cross was kept prisoner in a cell by his brother monks and taken out once a day to be beaten and allowed to eat a meal. He eventually managed to escape by climbing down the wall of the monastery. But he didn’t leave the Church or rail against it. He just accepted the source of the problem, his brother monks’ sin, and accepted the suffering as God’s will and grew from it. The Apostle Paul mentions such suffering from sources within the Church in his epistles.
The Catholic Church also helps us to become saints by not allowing us to have things our way. She normally doesn’t allow us to take the shortcuts we would like. Although sometimes we can pressure our human priests to grant us “special, secret dispensations for our special cases”. Unfortunately, I have friends for whom this has been done. And I can’t say that it has generally aided in their holiness. I am not sure we ever become holy by having our own way.
Jesus did and didn’t want to go to the cross. He asked the Father to let the cup pass from him if He was willing. But Jesus already knew the answer and so He prayed, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” He chose the way of the cross for us. And God strengthened Him for the task by sending Him ministering angels.
Before I became a Catholic Christian, I had Christianity my way. And I can’t say that it made me very holy. For one thing, it didn’t provide a clear path. So many interpretations, opinions and options.
When I became a Catholic, I submitted to the Church’s teachings, processes and timing. I received her Sacraments, prayed her prayers, participated in her liturgies, looked to the examples of her saints and adopted her ways of the spiritual life. And I have received grace upon grace. I am growing in prayer, patience, humility, love, compassion, peace, joy, thankfulness, trust, understanding and forgiveness to name a few. Have there been losses, crosses, opposition, loneliness and suffering? Sure. Do or did they hurt? Yeah, if they didn’t, it wouldn’t be suffering. But I have all those saints and witnesses to look to learn how to handle them with God and the prayers to sustain me.
So do you still want to be a saint? Then why don’t we walk the path together with Jesus and His Church?
