The saints next door
Opinion
In his apostolic exhortation Gaudete Et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad) Pope Francis talks about the ‘call to holiness in today’s world’.
It is not a plea for people to be holier than thou, to withdraw and spend all their days praying or living a contemplative life.
Far from it, in fact.
The Pope says we are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves.
He writes: ‘I prefer to contemplate the holiness present in the patience of God’s people: those parents who raise their children with immense love, in those men and women who work hard to support their families, in the sick, in elderly religious who never lose their smile…very often it is a holiness found in our next-door neighbours, those who, living in our midst, reflect God’s presence.’
Quoting French writer Joseph Malègue, he says we might call them ‘the middle class of holiness’.
I love the example of this that he gives in the exhortation.
‘A woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbour and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts. But she says in her heart: “No, I will not speak badly of anyone”. This is a step forward in holiness. Later, at home, one of her children wants to talk to her about his hopes and dreams, and even though she is tired, she sits down and listens with patience and love. That is another sacrifice that brings holiness. Later she experiences some anxiety, but recalling the love of the Virgin Mary, she takes her rosary and prays with faith. Yet another path of holiness. Later still, she goes out onto the street, encounters a poor person and stops to say a kind word to him. One more step.’
I was reminded of the Pope’s exhortation on holiness not because of his recent critical illness, even though he showed during this period – as the world held its breath – his willingness to think of others over himself. He called the parish priest of Gaza from his hospital bed every day to check how the parish was doing. If that isn’t holiness, I’m not sure what is.
Rather, it was the stories in our humble newspaper this month that made me reflect on the saints in our midst, the ordinary people doing extraordinary things.
A young lawyer campaigning for the victims of human trafficking; a mum who lost a child and is determined to speak up for the unborn; a retiree doing aid work in war zones in Ukraine and raising funds back home; a father sharing the joy that someone living with Down syndrome brings to the world.
All would describe themselves as ordinary people but all fit the category of ‘saints next door’.
Then there are those who are no longer with us. Sr Pat Sealey helped refugees and asylum seekers navigate a hostile immigration system as part of her long ministry of serving God.
Margaret Moses and Gyoparka Makk lost their lives while trying to save the lives of babies and children displaced and abandoned during the Vietnam War.
A trained teacher and a nurse, both with promising futures, the women were willing to leave the safety and security of Adelaide and help those in far greater need.
At their requiem Mass the congregation prayed that ‘they may go on living in the children of Vietnam for whom and with whom they gave their lives’.
Their courage and compassion exemplifies Pope Francis’ call to holiness, one aspect of which he describes as ‘boldness’ and ‘an impulse to leave a mark in this world’.
Not all of us are quite so brave but we can do the little things that make a difference in our own communities.
In a YouTube video of Pope Francis greeting thousands of faithful outside Gemelli Hospital after 38 days in bed, there is a beautiful moment where he notices in the distance a lady holding a bunch of yellow flowers. The Pope remarks that he can see her and expresses his gratitude.
It’s this ability to be joyful and bring others joy that we can all aspire to, especially as we gather with our family and friends at Easter.
