Sainthood 

   When most people think of sainthood they think of those whom the Church has declared as saints, such as St. Augustine, St. Teresa of Avila and others.  But the term saint simply refers to one who is holy, who is known for his or her heroic sanctity and who is thought to be in heaven.  By that definition all of us can, by the grace of God, be saints.

   I want to be holy, I want to be sanctified, I want to be a saint.  Ironically I must give God my permission to make me holy, he will not impose sainthood on me, I have to agree.  I must respond as our Blessed Mother responded to the archangel Gabriel when told she was to be the mother of our Lord; “May it be done to me according to your word.”

   There is no checklist to sainthood, no balance sheet that magically opens the door to heaven.  Even if I do enormous good in the world but do it in order to bring glory to myself rather than to give glory to God, it will bear little fruit in my life.  To become a saint, I must love God and strive to do His will, to give Him all praise and glory.

   St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta said, “Not all of us can do great things.  But we can do small things with great love.”  Unless God so decides I will never do anything great in this life, no one other than family and friends will know my name.  But if God knows me and knows that I love Him and want to serve Him above all else, I can become a saint.