“We become saints not by violently overcoming our own weakness, but by letting the Lord give us the strength and purity of God’s Spirit in exchange for our weakness and misery.”
— Thomas Merton
On October 9, Dick Vitale, the voice of college basketball on ESPN, spoke at the Bishops’ Appeal Dinner for Catholic Schools in Sioux City, Iowa. For 33 years Dick has been a college basketball analyst, and before this was a high school, college and pro-basketball coach. In his talk he said: “I came from a great home. My mother and father were the great influences of my life. My parents were uneducated, but they had a doctorate in love. They always instilled in my brother and I and my sister to believe that you can be what you want to be, chase your dreams. If you treat people with respect, they will treat you with respect.”
Throughout our lives, we have significant people who teach and form us — whether parents, teachers, priests, nuns, coaches, siblings or mentors. I always say that the best version of the Old and New Testaments was traced in the lines of my parents’ love, faith and commitment to one another. While I was away last week at the Villa Maria Retreat Center in Villa Maria, PA, I had the opportunity to read some of the love letters my Dad sent to Mom while both were away serving in the Navy. His letters conveyed his desire to have a large family, educate his children well and make sure the choices they made in life would always be anchored in faith.
As I think of my father who died on February 8, 1986, my mentally-challenged sister who died on March 10, 2008, and the countless funerals that I’ve offered as a priest, I pray for those who have gone before us marked by the sign of faith, that they would help us on our pilgrimage to heaven. My father always reminded me that his grandfather was a religious man and the seeds of faith were sown long ago.
While away on retreat last week, I reflected upon the humbling and sobering reality of the privilege it is to lead people into the mystery of prayer through the celebration of Mass as a priest. In gathering together as God’s people to worship and praise, we are reminded that we are all on pilgrimage, traveling with those brothers and sisters with us on earth, as well as with the angels and saints in heaven. As we celebrate the Feast of All Saints Day, we remember that the true goal of our lives is holiness.
St. Francis of Assisi said, “Sanctify yourself and you will sanctify society.” St. Theresa of Avila wrote, “Never do anything that you cannot do in the presence of all.” St. Therese of Lisieuex said, “You cannot be half a saint. You must be a whole saint or no saint at all.”
Blessed Pope John XXIII (Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli) was the pope who called for Vatican Council II. He was warm, kind, humble, admired and loved. He would become “Good Pope John.” He was born on November 25, 1881, in a tiny village in the province of Bergamo and his parents were tenant farmers. At the age of 77, on October 28, 1958, the smiling, rotund Angelo Roncalli was elected the 261st pope. He exuded enthusiasm for life, enjoyment of human company, a positive tone for his pontificate and hope for a season of change. The Church was in need of what he called “aggiornamento” or “updating.” His final months were spent in agony as he suffered with terminal cancer. Yet Good Pope John kept his gracious humor and humility, saying, “My bags are packed and I’m ready to go.” Having won the hearts of the world, he died on June 3, 1963, and his passing was universally mourned. Now, years after his death, his incorrupt body rests in state, encased in glass at St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.
In the November issue of The Priest Magazine, there is an article entitled “John XXIII: Mystic Pope” by Victor Parachin. He notes that there are 10 qualities characterizing the Blessed John’s life from which we can all learn:
1) Live with a sacred optimism: Be cheerful at all times and reject the voices of prophets of gloom and doom forecasting disaster.
2) Ask others to pray for you: Pope John would ask his family members to pray to make him a good cardinal and a peace-loving and gentle man. He teaches us that whenever we face difficult decisions or challenges in life to ask those close to us for their prayers.
3) Curtail criticism: John’s philosophy simply was, “See everything, overlook a great deal, correct a little.” When we refrain from criticism, gossip and complaining, our happiness soars and so will our family spirit and friendship relationships.
4) Practice self-restraint: Pope John loved to talk but he said that the tongue can get us in trouble unless we speak with care, respect and moderation. Silence is golden.
5) Read biographies of saints’ lives: A great way to help our spiritual lives is to read a model of spiritual living. Pope John loved St. Francis De Salles (author of Introduction to the Devout Life) and called him “the gentlest of saints.”
6) Practice what you preach: In today’s Gospel Jesus gives this message to the Scribes and Pharisees who were shackled by legalism, arrogance and hypocrisy.
7) Be kind: This was Pope John XXIII’s life-long goal. He believed he must deal with others with dignity, simplicity and kindness — a radiant and serene kindness.
8) Observe yourself: Through a regular examination of conscience, we take a deep long and honest look at ourselves, so that any issues can be addressed before they snowball.
9) Remember that you are a role-model: We must be a positive influence in others’ lives, to be visible to families, friends, neighbors, acquaintances.
10) Don’t take yourself so seriously: Pope John XXIII wants us to lighten up. We shouldn’t carry the weight of the world on our shoulders since Christ did that for us on the Cross.
The saints and the great spiritual writers have always believed that there’s one non-negotiable rule for prayer: “Show up! Show up regularly!”
