How do you become a Saint?
Yesterday I wrote that the Catholic’s proper response to the scandals is to become a saint. Someone then emailed me and reasonably asked, “How do you become a saint?”
I have always taken a very practical view of this question. I don’t see sainthood as something mysterious or ethereal. I see it as something every person can obtain if they take concrete steps to do it. Here are five steps I would recommend:
1) Ask God to make you a saint. Frankly, without His help, it’s a losing battle, so you better begin with this. The good news is that He is more than willing to help you in your battle for sanctity.
2) Frequent the Sacraments. Frequently. Most spiritual directors advise attending Mass daily if possible, and confession at least monthly. I would recommend going to confession even more frequently, for it prevents our little sins from growing into big ones.
3) Pray. Try to spend at least 30 minutes a day in private prayer. You can’t know what God wants from you unless you talk to Him a lot.
4) Practice the virtues. This is the least flashy of all the recommendations, but it is vital in the battle for sanctity. One cannot be a saint without being patient with your spouse and kids, kind to your co-workers and loving to your parents. The first step to being a saint is being human.
5) Read the Bible and the lives of the saints. If you want to be a professional baseball player, you are going to read about those who have already achieved that level to see how it is done. Likewise with sainthood: reading the Bible and the lives of the saints gives great guidance for becoming a saint yourself.
Obviously, there are many other things you can do on the path to sanctity, but if you just follow the five steps above, you will be well on your way. And don’t be discouraged when you fall in your attempts to practice these steps. A distinguishing mark of the saints is that when they fall, they always get back up.
Profound, yet simple! Thank you for the advice. I believe I learned all these things in my childhood, but I need the reminders often, if not daily.
St. Thomas Aquinas was asked by his sister the same question, “How does one become a saint.” The great Doctor of the Church answered in 2 words, “WILL IT!”
Good advice and prioritization!
Thank you!
Actually, if you are still standing after the world including your own kind attempted to mold the daylight out of you, then you’ll end up either a saint or an idiot.
Some people including the good ones only see the bad in your past, others can’t stand the sight of ya. Still, you have no say in the matter.
It is only when something pure and simple caught your attention in someone else’s struggle that you will know God exists and not far away from you.
Thanks for posting this up!
It’s so simple, but a lot of the time, we need to be reminded of the simple stuff.
Thank you for this post! Especially love #4, I definitely need to remind myself of this often.
Not sure if anyone has said this yet, but reading this post and yesterday’s I was reminded of a St. Ignatius of Loyola quote. He said:
If God causes you to suffer much, it is a sign that He has great designs for you, and that He certainly intends to make you a saint. And if you wish to become a great saint, entreat Him yourself to give you much opportunity for suffering; for there is no wood better to kindle the fire of holy love than the wood of the cross, which Christ used for His own great sacrifice of boundless charity.
Thanks for the post. Ave crux, spes unica!
The topic of how one becomes a saint, i.e., how one becomes holy, is actually a complicated one. It is also very much disputed between the various Christian denominations, particularly between those of the Protestant tradition and of the Catholic Faith. I will limit myself in this comment to several brief observations, notwithstanding the complexity of this issue and the disagreement about it.
Becoming a saint is, first and foremost, the work of God in us. Indeed, even the genuine desire to become a saint is His work (see CCC, Paras. 1989 & 2001f.). It is not God, therefore, who helps us to become saints. It is, rather, we who cooperate with Him to make us saints. This fact may seem obvious and my pointing it out, therefore, unnecessary. It is important, however, to establish this fact in any discussion of how one becomes a saint or holy; otherwise a lack of clarity and precision in thinking about this fact can lead to dangerous error.
Growing in holiness is essentially growing in charity or love in cooperation with the working of the Holy Spirit in us. That is to say, one is sanctified or perfected by love (see CCC, Paras. 2001 & 2013; cf. Matt. 25:31-46). Only what one does out of love, therefore, aids one in becoming a saint. No corporal or spiritual work of mercy done with any other intent will help one to grow in holiness (cf. I Cor. 13:1-9). The practice of all of the other virtues, moreover, is “animated and inspired by charity,” which is the “form [or orderer] of the [other] virtues” (CCC, Para. 1827). That is to say, love, both of God and neighbor, is the true, fundamental motivation and reason for living virtuously.
All humanity is called to holiness. It is the universal vocation (see CCC, Paras. 1 & 2013). God has established His Church and the sacraments it administers to aid men in responding to this calling. Men must, for their part, respond in love.
Eric, this is yet another gem – but that is par for the course on this blog.