Saints Alive!!!!!

We are often fascinated by celebrity and the big things of this world to the detriment of our experiencing the fullness of life. Sometimes it can be because we are too busy or occupied to notice the small details and at other times we rush by because the small details can cause complications and worries in life we do not wish to tackle at the moment. But if God knows the very smallest details of who we are, “Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.” (Lk 12:7) then maybe it is a hint to us to slow down and look at the details of life because perhaps, just perhaps, we will discover the greater blessings in life.
Why do I ask this question today? Because of St. Pope Paul VI and St. Oscar Romero…that’s why. And oh yeah…the other five men and women who were canonized as Saints in the Catholic Church the same day. Who are these other five? That’s a good question. As a priest I try to keep up with the news and was very excited when it was announced the two above mentioned men would be canonized. And in truth in everything I read until the final days I had know idea there were others saints being called forth. In fact I was a bit shocked when I read a headline “7 to be Canonized” on one of the Catholic news websites. Even more amazing was throughout the days prior and the day of the Mass 99% of the images where of either both St. Paul VI or St. Oscar Romero if not of one or the other but not the other five.
Who were the other five….St. Vincent Romano (+1881), St. Francesco Spinelli (+1913), St. Nunzio Suprizio (+1836), St. Nazaria Ignacio March Mesa (+1943) and St. Maria Katharina Kasper (+1898). You can read about these holy men and women on the link provided below. But once more going back to the above thought, we can often focus on the big and ignore the little to the detriment of our life of holiness and our life of grace. In reality these “lesser known” saints are vitally important and for their community, their local church and to us they are examples of grace and courage in the faith.
But why is this so important? I believe it is because when we seek holiness we discover it in the small encounters and the local relationships, (in the lesser) more readily and with greater impact then the large and greater in the long run.
One example we might use is this. A while back I was asked to go and celebrate an Anointing of the Sick at a local facility. When I got in the room, the person to be anointed was with her daughter and granddaughter. The room was filled with joy and love that was remarkable. In conversation, the daughter stated, “Her mom was the very best in the whole world.” I immediately thought about my mom; who is the very best mom in the whole world! With all joking aside, it was a moment when we can all remember how God blesses us through the small “saintly” relationship we have with one another. It is how the heroic virtue of a life of holiness shines through when we allow ourselves to see God in the other. To this family, their mom was their saint, flaws and all, because she showed them the face of Christ. And while their mom will never be loved universally like our Blessed Mother or many of the famous saints, she will be always loved by her family just as I and my family will always love our mom. We love them because we know them, flaws and all.
This is really the point: to know our family of saints who live around us and are in the great communion of saints in heaven. Our challenge is always to know the other: to know God and all the people He has given us to love. Perhaps we could take time to read about the saint of the day and to visit, call or pray for a relative and friend each day. In doing so we might get to know and love our sisters/brothers and friends like Maria Katharina Kasper and the many other saints in heaven.