Hope for All of Us: The Saints Weren't Perfect

Last Wednesday, 31 January 2007, during his address at his weekly Papal Audience Papa Benedetto had some good news for us. The saints didn't become saints because they were perfect. In fact they were just like us. "And this is very consoling for me, as we see that the saints have not 'fallen from heaven.' ", said the Pope. So is it for all of us Holy Father. So should it be.

"They are men like us, with complicated problems. Holiness does not consist in not making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with the capacity for conversion, repentance, willingness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness. " That sounds to me like the basic Gospel Message that they preached over the years. The message of God's love & mercy that He offers to every one of us.

This way of holiness that we are called to live is something we can all follow. God has given us the ability to do so. "We are not made saints because we never make a mistake, but because of our capacity to forgive and reconcile. And we can all learn this way of holiness."

Papa Benedetto mainly focuses on 3 people who worked with St. Paul, Barnabas, Silas and Apollos. But he also makes mention at the start of his talk of many other people who worked with Paul. "Epaphras (cf. Colossians 1:7; 4:12; Philemon 23), Epaphroditus (cf. Philippians 2:25; 4:18), Tychicus (cf. Acts 20:4; Ephesians 6:21; Colossians 4:7; 2 Timothy 4:12; Titus 3:12), Urbanus (cf. Romans 16:9), Gaius and Aristarchus (cf. Acts 19:29; 20:4; 27:2; Colossians 4:10).

And women such as Phoebe (cf. Romans 16:1), Tryphaena and Tryphosa (cf. Romans 16:12), Persis, mother of Rufus, of whom he says, "also his mother and mine" (cf. Romans 16:12-13), not forgetting spouses such as Prisca and Aquila (cf. Romans 16:3; 1 Corinthians 16:19; 2 Timothy 4:19)." Most of them we know little more than their name. We don't know their age, birthplace, occupation, family, marital status, etc. They were everyday people like us. & that gives us hope. We don't have to do great things, just allow God to use us exactly where we are. Many of them served Paul simply by serving the local Church faithfully. Now that doesn't sound too difficult does it?

As Papa Benedetto reminds us: "Each one has a different task in the field of the Lord: "I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave growth. ... for we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building" (1 Corinthians 3:6-9) ."

He end his talk by pointing out to us: "In this original evangelizing mission they found the meaning of life and thus they are presented to us as luminous models of selflessness and generosity.

Let us think, finally, once again, of that phrase of St. Paul: Both Apollos and I are ministers of Jesus, each one in his way, as it is God who gives growth. This is valid for us also today, for the Pope, as well as for cardinals, bishops, priests and laity. We are all humble ministers of Jesus.

We serve the Gospel in the measure that we can, according to our gifts, and we ask God to make his Gospel, his Church grow today."

"Holiness Doesn't Consist in Not Making Mistakes or Never Sinning"