(August 11, 2019) Lectionary: 117
by Thomas GetteAdults: Other than Jesus, which of the ancestors of Christian faith has served as the greatest example to you? Why?
Children: Which person of the Bible has been a good example to you of how to live?
One of the fascinating things about Catholicism is the enduring impact of the people who have come before us. Wealthy and famous people often have some kind of legacy, but it no way compares to how the writings and the lives of the saints are perennially celebrated and imitated.
Someone like Steve Jobs may have left a seismic impact on the world and have a name that is almost universally recognizable, but there will never be widespread devotion to following his teachings and imitating his virtues.
Take for example St. Thérèse of Lisieux (a saint who has had a major impact on my spiritual life). She was born in France in 1873. At the age of 15 she entered the convent at the unusually young age of 15. From there she lived a relatively obscure life hidden from the world as a cloistered nun. She met an untimely death at only the age of 24. But for whatever reason, the holiness she embraced during her short life sent spiritual ripples.
From only as recently as the late 1800s, a virtual worldwide devotion to her has developed. It is hard to find a Catholic parish that does not have a statue or image of her. There is a basilica dedicated to her that is the second most popular pilgrimage site in France. Pope St. Pius X regarded her as “the greatest saint of modern times.”
How does a young girl who lived a life in the hidden silence of a cloistered convent become so widely known? And how has a popular devotion and spiritual piety inspired by her life and writings developed so readily?
There is something powerful about humility and a life dedicated to God. Think of any saint or biblical figure, and the impression they left on the world is unmistakable. And this isn’t because they were great technological innovators or authors or artists or because they acquired a great fortune and fame. They have become the people we remember and imitate because they let their lives be defined by following God’s will. This shows us that when we embrace God’s plan for our lives, we make the biggest (and better) impact on the world.
What’s fascinating to think about is that, essentially, only saints have this characteristic. We imitate these holy men and women because they loved God and lived according to God’s universal truth. We do so in order to become saints ourselves. And though we aren’t all destined to become canonized saints, our aim in life should be virtue and goodness. Fortune and fame and the things of this world fade, but love endures forever.
Thomas Gette is a family man with a passion for the domestic Church. He holds master’s degrees from both Franciscan University and the Catholic University in Leuven, Belgium.