Saints…….

Who are saints? Are they some beings with extra ordinary powers? Or are they just like us? Many questions arise in our minds. When we think of saints our mind which is like a jumping monkey takes us for a ride of all the ideas of saints we have in our mind. We see saints with halo, some saints raised above the ground in ecstasy, some saints martyred, some saints with people around them and so on. I remember my mother one telling me it’s easy to talk of saints but living a life like a saint is like walking on thorny bushes. We fail to recognize in saints their ordinary life lived in extra ordinary way. We are fascinated by all the miracles done by them but we forget to recognize their simplicity of life and the one who provides the grace to do such works. We fail to see the struggles, the sorrows borne by them. Many peoples after reading the lives of saints only stay fascination level whereas some move ahead in imitating them. Most of the saints have focus on the figure of Jesus Christ. Inspired by His example many saints dated to tread the less traveled road in which some gained the crown of martyrdom too. They were so taken up by Jesus that nothing mattered them, it was all done for the sake and love of Jesus Christ. Early Christians who embraced martyrdom were a great example to other early Christian’s faithful to hold on to the faith even if it meant to be martyred. No one has become a saint by following a rule book but it’s by one’s own personal convictions and one’s own determination which lead them to the path of holiness. Saints are people who were not only pious but also held a deep and strong relationship with Jesus. Saints knew their imperfections, they knew they sinned, they were aware and they tried to change it over by the grace of God. Trying to live a saintly life is no child’s play as it takes a lot of brushing, polishing, mending, bending, shaping, etc. many Christians follow the tradition of giving a saints name to a new born baby on the day of Baptism. This is a great help for the child. The child feels proud to have the name of a saint, this also leads the child to know more about the saint and finally the child might even try to imitate the saint. Our faith teaches us that we are called to be saints and after our death to be united with God. This calls us to be holy, live a life of holiness. It’s in holiness do we find ourselves in harmony with the Lord. We learn from saints that even form our human weaknesses and imperfections we can still achieve lot. Being a saint is difficult but it’s not impossible. It’s not only the dead and gone but also the living that live by the will of God. Saints are not only people who are been titled as saints but also those who have attained eternal reward.

I would describe saints as people who are:-

S – Servants of the church

A – Aware of themselves

I – Intercessors

N- Nature lovers

T – Teachers

S - Struggled in life

Servants of the church – all saints have some way or the other has helped the church in a small or a big way. It may be by their example of life. Helping people in their need may be materially or spiritually. Many saints have opened congregations which look after the orphans, aged, sick patients, etc. which are still in service of people.

Aware of themselves – saints as living their lives have come to one point in their lies where they have realized that they have gone the wrong path and they have made a U-turn somewhere down in their life. It was only that they became aware of themselves could they do so many things and also be a model of awareness to us. Even after their conversion they knew that they would fall and when they fell they realized that they have fallen and rose again.

Intercessors – down the ages and even now people have a great trust in saints. At times some people have believed more in saints than in Jesus. Saints too have heard the prayers and interceded to the Father to grant the wishes of the people.

Nature Lovers – the saints that comes to mind when I think as a nature lover is St. Francis of Assisi. He was such a nature lover that he used to talk to birds and animals also. We now as humans may not be in the position to do what St. Francis of Assisi could do but we can at least now take care of the nature that’s deteriorating rapidly.

Teachers – Saints by their lives have taught us how to live accordingly to Gods will. Some saints also have taught us as to how we can live our Christian lives. A few great saints who are the Doctors of the Church have framed the Catechism and canons of the Church.

Struggled in Life – life is difficult. For them too life was difficult as they were humans like us. Many saints have fallen down deep in the muck of sin but they tried to get up and wash themselves which was not easy and was a great struggle for them.