V.J.E.
The saints were fully human.
I don’t know if this realization has ever occurred to you or if you’ve fully grasped what that means. Because I’ve put saints on this pedestal thinking that their whole lives were special. In the sense that they were of a different kind and just did everything right. Yes, I know that they struggled, but I thought that they always knew how to be perfect or act perfectly… whatever that means.
I’m learning that the exact opposite is true and it doesn’t do me any good to think my life should be that way or to think that I’m doing it all wrong because it’s not that way. That mindset will never be right because the lives of the saints were messy, they had passions and desires, faced extreme challenges, and probably spent most of their time with their head on the floor, asking for God’s strength, wisdom, and divine help.
But that’s what made them saints! They relied totally on God NOT despite their humanity. They invited God into their humanity, into their sufferings, weaknesses and failings, but also into their joys and triumphs. They lived with God, in His love, or constantly strived to.
Isn’t that really what our faith teaches? In His divinity, Jesus humbled Himself to take on our humanity fully! He shows us how to live by being totally dependent on the Father and in constant relationship with the Father, for a lifelong journey of union and love. With all that life entails.
Living in authentic holiness is so real and simple. Humble and tangible because that is describing the One who is life Himself!
So, I’m praying that we may all be given the grace to break free from the chains of living anything other than the fullness of life. (Not even for the goal of the title ‘Saint’ but for what it means: to be in union with God, to have the world revolve around the One who it ought to.) And that all the saints continue giving us encouragement that this fullness of life is possible for all of us, that they help us to accept where we find ourselves, and that we may be grateful for the journey.
Please, pray for me too!
In His merciful heart,
Sr. Tonia Borsellino
All you holy men and women, pray for us!