The Myth about Saints

I was recently asked by a dear friend if I had ever had the slightest feeling of animosity toward anyone these days, the questioner seeming to presume that my deep spirituality placed me beyond all negative emotion. It is an understandable presumption, because those who walk with God carry about them a cloak of tranquility that suggests the absence of any conflict in their lives. It is, however, an erroneous presumption. I do have feelings of animosity. I also experience feelings of anger and hatred and lust and the entire gamut of emotions common to man. I also experience temptation. If I didn't, I wouldn't be human; I would be an angel singing Alleluia to the Lord in heaven. So what does that say about my spirituality?

The answer to that question first requires the shattering of the myth which says that extremely spiritual persons are not subject to baser emotions or susceptible to temptation. This myth developed in the main from the way we venerate our saints, treating them as paradigms of holiness, assuming that they led sinless lives in perfect obedience to the will of God. We forget - or ignore - the fact that they, like us, were as human as we are while they lived on this earth, subject to the same temptations that we face, confronted by the very same emotions. That they lived holy lives is without question. That they tried their hardest to live lives pleasing to God is also without question. But equally without question is the fact that on the rare occasion they stumbled and fell. Or to put it starkly, they sinned!

My purpose in highlighting this fact is not to disparage the saints, or to detract from their holiness. I have the greatest respect for all those holy men and women who have been proclaimed saints, but I wish the Catholic Church had never established the practice of canonization, not because these men and women don't deserve the honor - they most certainly do - but in doing so, these people have been turned into superheroes like spiritual versions of Superman or Wonder Woman. Consequently, we tell ourselves that we cannot emulate them because they are, after all, saints, while we are merely human! That is a cop-out, a justification for our spiritual laziness. The saints were human too. As human as we are and just as fallible. But they overcame their frailties to become true saints in the eyes of God, and they did so because they had one thing that most of us don't - a profound love for God**.

If we wish to be saints - something we are all called to be, not just a few "chosen" ones - a deep love for God is a prime requisite. This love for God translates into obedience. Obedience results in increased grace. Increased grace results in sinlessless. Increased sinlessless results in saintliness. Increased saintliness leads to perfection. Perfection is what we need to attain because it is what we are commanded to attain as Christians. For those of you who argue that perfection is not possible, let me quote an exhortation from Jesus: "Be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48)**

The road to perfection isn't easy. When I first commenced my journey on this road I fell several times. Some were small falls as I tripped over something unexpected that came along my way. Others were graver, a result of slipping back into a rut that had been hollowed over 25 years. Others were harder falls still as the devil set up traps so cleverly I didn't see them until I was falling headlong into them. But this was natural. I was a baby in the Lord learning how to walk and it was inevitable that I'd stumble from time to time like any other baby. You will fall too, and several times at that, when you begin your journey with the Lord. There are times when your spirit will be so bruised and ache so terribly, you will cry in despair and frustration. I offer you the encouragement the Holy Spirit offered me at such times: "It isn't important that you fall. What is important is that you rise again. Remember that God doesn't hold any of this against you. He knows how hard you are trying. Just pick yourself up and keep walking."

As you grow in holiness, you will get stronger in the Spirit and if you allow yourself to be led by him**, you will find yourself able to resist or react differently to the feelings of animosity, anger, lust and the like that sweep upon you. You will also be better equipped with the Word of God to resist temptation. Please be aware that though your falls will now be few and far between, you might still fall. (To my chagrin, I still lose my temper on occasion!) At such times the devil will tell you that you are wasting your time; that holiness is impossible; that you are being a hypocrite; that God will not forgive you - but don't waste your time listening to him.

Just pick yourself up and keep walking.

Note: I normally use the word "saint" to encompass all believers in Christ Jesus (which means ALL of us) in the manner that Paul does in his epistles. In the article above, however, I use the word in its traditional meaning of a person officially recognized through canonization as preeminent for holiness.

© Aneel Aranha, Holy Spirit Interactive