How Do You Become A Saint?

[Lil Red]

+JMJ+
http://ericsammons.com/blog/2010/04/14/how-do-you-become-a-saint/

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.

[TeresaBenedicta]

God must call you. You can do your part to grow in sanctity, but unless God has specifically called you to be raised up as a Saint, you will not be one.

[Lil Red]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' date='14 April 2010 - 12:08 PM' timestamp='1271272113' post='2093374']
God must call you. You can do your part to grow in sanctity, but unless God has specifically called you to be raised up as a Saint, you will not be one.
[/quote]
+JMJ+
everyone in heaven is a saint.

[Sojourner]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='14 April 2010 - 01:12 PM' timestamp='1271272347' post='2093379']
+JMJ+
everyone in heaven is a saint.
[/quote]

[laetitia crucis]

One of the comments was quite good, too. I remember hearing this while in the convent:

[quote]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!”[/quote]

[God Conquers]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' date='14 April 2010 - 03:08 PM' timestamp='1271272113' post='2093374']
God must call you. You can do your part to grow in sanctity, but unless God has specifically called you to be raised up as a Saint, you will not be one.
[/quote]

Every human being is called to be a saint.

[Rebecca2009]

I know Father Calloway has said that it is impossible to become a Saint apart from a relationship with Mary. And he said that most if not all saints the Church has canonized, all had a great love for her.

[Thy Geekdom Come]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='14 April 2010 - 03:05 PM' timestamp='1271271958' post='2093373']
+JMJ+
http://ericsammons.com/blog/2010/04/14/how-do-you-become-a-saint/

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.[/quote]

I need to do a lot more of this. I want to add that we should ask Him every day and, on top of that, as often as we think of Him.

[quote]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.[/quote]

I live in a mission diocese now, so I can't go to Confession that often without being the guy that takes up space in the line and keeps others from being able to go. I aim for once a month. Sometimes having kids gets in the way of that. I plan on taking my kids to daily Mass this summer while I'm off.

[quote]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.[/quote]

Desperately need to work on this one. I'd add to his points that truly private prayer needs to be an environment conducive to prayer. Get some sacred music going, some incense, sacred art, etc. Designate a part of the house as the prayer room. Actively try to slow yourself down and practice silence. The value of our talking to God is greatly diminished when we spend far more time doing far lesser things or when we talk so much to others that talking has no special value to us.

[quote]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.[/quote]

I've been having anger streaks lately.

[quote]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.[/quote]

Too true. I need to work on this.

[Saint Therese]

I think Saint Thomas said it best.

[laetitia crucis]

[quote name='Saint Therese' date='14 April 2010 - 06:59 PM' timestamp='1271282380' post='2093560']
I think Saint Thomas said it best.
[/quote]

[TeresaBenedicta]

[quote name='Lil Red' date='14 April 2010 - 04:12 PM' timestamp='1271272347' post='2093379']
+JMJ+
everyone in heaven is a saint.
[/quote]

Yes and no.

We talk about all those in heaven as saints-- and this is true. But God certainly calls certain people to be, by their very lives, extraordinary signs of sanctity. These are the Saints (upper-case "S"). In certain times and places, for particular reasons, God raises up certain individuals to be outstanding persons of holiness.

Of course, from our perspective, our response is the same-- to seek holiness (and the suggestions listed here are good guidelines). Whether we are called by God to be Saints; we can't really know here below.

But there's a difference between a saint (as all those in heaven) and a Saint, raised up and called for a particular purpose by God.

[cruciatacara]

[quote name='TeresaBenedicta' date='14 April 2010 - 07:04 PM' timestamp='1271293491' post='2093627']
Yes and no.

We talk about all those in heaven as saints-- and this is true. But God certainly calls certain people to be, by their very lives, extraordinary signs of sanctity. These are the Saints (upper-case "S"). In certain times and places, for particular reasons, God raises up certain individuals to be outstanding persons of holiness.

Of course, from our perspective, our response is the same-- to seek holiness (and the suggestions listed here are good guidelines). Whether we are called by God to be Saints; we can't really know here below.

But there's a difference between a saint (as all those in heaven) and a Saint, raised up and called for a particular purpose by God.
[/quote]


Not everyone who is a saint has been canonized. The Saints with a capital S are canonized by the Church to be beacons of light and inspiration for the faithful, but they are no greater than the saints with a little s who are in heaven. All are called to holiness and sainthood. Some of the greatest saints in heaven are totally unknown to us.

Waiting for God to 'make' you a saint is a little like Quietism to me. Aquinas was much more active in his statement to 'will it'. As St Therese said, God wouldn't put the desire into our hearts unless He intended to fulfill it (with our cooperation). So instead of wondering if you are called to be Saint (capital S), ask God to make you one and then leave it all up to Him. He may make you a saint, instead of a Saint, but they are all the same in heaven. It is only here that we differentiate.

[Old_Joe]

Everyone has overlooked the most obvious requirement: With very few exceptions, YOU HAVE TO BE DEAD!

[cruciatacara]

[quote name='Old_Joe' date='14 April 2010 - 08:13 PM' timestamp='1271297628' post='2093697']
Everyone has overlooked the most obvious requirement: With very few exceptions, YOU HAVE TO BE DEAD!
[/quote]


Not exactly. To become canonized a Saint one has to be dead. Anyone living can be a saint. St Therese was a saint while she was alive and became a Saint after she was dead.

[vee]

Tuberculosis.