We All Are Called to Sainthood; Why Do So Few Get There?

The word “catholic” means universal or all-inclusive. You find out how true this is if you write about different saints.

I have written articles about saints who came from many places around the world. These places include France, Portugal, Belgium, Germany, Mexico, the United States, Ireland, etc. Yet, I have only scratched the surface.  There are also saints from places such as Korea, Poland, Uganda, Brazil, Britain, Australia, and many more.

They Emptied Themselves

I have found that the common denominator among all of these people is that when it came down to fully answering Christ’s call, they all invariably emptied themselves, offering their very lives up to Him. Their own needs, comforts, and desires took a permanent back seat to their love of Jesus. First and foremost, they wanted to do for Him whatever He called upon them to do.

Some willingly went through unimaginable pain and torture in doing so.  They never wavered from the all-consuming love of the Savior whose warm embrace was awaiting them at His door.  These are the people that represent the “best of the best” in our Catholic world and are shining examples for all of us.

St. Therese of Lisieux was quoted long ago as saying, “My soul is at peace, for long ago I ceased to belong to myself.” All saints eventually cease to belong to themselves and surrender to Christ.

Canonization Process

The journey to sainthood is available to all of us. It should be what our ultimate goal always is. However, most of us (like myself) often let the things of the world get in our way.

Those who have been declared Saints by the Church and those in the queue (this includes the Blessed, the Venerable, and Servants of God), however, have either reached the mountaintop or are on the way up. Since these folks are dead, how do we know this for sure?  We accept the process and decision as put forth by Holy Mother Church. It is the Canonization process, and it is not an easy one.

The first steps in the process begin at the local or diocesan level. After a person is dead for five years, the person’s name may be presented to the local Bishop. The Bishop will decide whether or not the evidence warrants his calling a Diocesan Tribunal together to open an investigation into the person put forth. If he chooses to move ahead, he will appoint a Postulator who is usually one of the priests assigned to the diocese.

Servant of God

The Postulator assigns several others to help in the investigation. These people conduct interviews and investigate the character of the proposed candidate. The person’s writings are checked, and their overall life is opened and inspected.

If the Diocesan Tribunal and Bishop approve the person, they are declared a “Servant of God.”  All documentation is then forwarded to the Vatican.

Venerable (a life of heroic virtue)

The second step involves the Congregation of Saints. Nine theologians determine whether the case should move forward. If so, it is presented to the Bishops and Cardinals in the congregation.

Approval by the Bishops and Cardinals moves the case to the Pope for a decision. If the Pope agrees, the person in question is deemed to have lived a life of “heroic virtue.’ The person is then declared “Venerable,” i.e., Venerable Fulton J Sheen.

One Miracle or Martyrdom

The third step is the beatification process. This process begins when a miracle has supposedly taken place through the intercession of the Venerable person in question. Once the miracle is validated, the person can be beatified and is called “Blessed.” In the case of martyrdom, the miracle can be waived, and the Holy Father can declare the person “Blessed,” as he has done in the case of Father Jacques Hamel.

Canonization

The final step is the actual Canonization of the beatified person by the Holy Father in Rome. This step is usually predicated on a second irrefutable miracle. This miracle must be the result of the future saint’s intercession.  Note that a miracle must be spontaneous, complete, and defy a medical explanation.

Once the miracle is approved, the person is declared a saint. A huge celebration is scheduled at the Vatican and a date is set to elevate the person to Sainthood. Tens of thousands of people are often on hand for a Canonization. Obviously, reaching that saintly mountain peak is no easy task.

We are all family

I call the Catholic saints and those following them up the ladder members of the Catholic Hall of Fame. They are the “best of the best,” from the Apostles and the earliest saints, down through the ages to St. John Paul II and St. Teresa of Calcutta.

Our heritage is filled with such rich and abundant spirituality.  The inspiration, motivation, perseverance, patience, humility, and fortitude of the saints are all available at all times. All we have to do is reach out, grab hold of one our saints and ask for a bit of help. They are there for us. After all, we are all family.

Mother Angelica perhaps said it best:

“Where most men work for degrees after their names, we work for one before our names: ‘saint.’ It’s a more difficult degree to attain. It takes a lifetime, and you don’t get your diploma until you’re dead.”