TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - AUGUST 22, 2022

TWENTY-SECOND SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

All human beings were created for one thing: to become saints. Sainthood, our participation with God in Heaven, is not something that we can automatically expect; because of sin, our salvation is something that we must work to accept since it has been freely given to us by Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Each individual has their own path designated by God to acknowledging this, in union with their individual personality and demeanor, but there is something that we all must do in order to live up to our potential: we must understand humility.

READ THIS SUNDAY'S MESSAGE

As a member of His Church, God is asking only one thing from you: that you work towards becoming a saint. This was what we were created for and what we are called to do. This might seem utterly impossible when we look at the lives of the saints because they seem so much more holy and so much more giving than us. But the wonderful thing about the saints is that they are as diverse in their personalities as we are. Not everyone can be as academically and intellectually gifted as someone like St. Thomas Aquinas, and not everyone can understand so perfectly the simplicity of God’s love as St. Therese of Lisieux. There are saints who had personalities just like yours, and their example should reveal to you that it is entirely possible for you to ascend to that higher mode of living. However, there is one thing that is absolutely necessary for you to adjust within yourself before beginning the work towards becoming a saint, because all saints made sure to do this within their lives: you must learn to be perfectly humble before the Lord. The Church thrives and flourishes when its leaders and its members are humble in their thoughts, words, and deeds. Selfish shepherds create selfish flocks. Prideful priests create prideful parishioners. But a humble shepherd builds up a humble flock. A selfless priest will create selfless parishioners. God has prepared a place for us in Heaven, but we are not worthy of it. It is dangerously presumptuous to assume that our salvation is owed to us. Instead, we need to work for it to show God that He can trust us with implementing His will both in Heaven and on Earth. This is why we pray for the intercession of the saints. If we understand our place in the ontological order, we are bound to be called for something greater; if we let pride replace our desire to become better, we will be humbled by God regardless.

FAMILIES, ACTIVATE!

Family activity to do at home: One of the greatest acts of humility a person can undergo is to approach the Sacrament of Confession sincerely and honestly. For children, there is nothing more frightening than admitting to the truth when they do something wrong. It is our responsibility as adults and as parents to show the joy and growth that can come from embracing the truth about our own sinfulness. If you want your children to take that first step towards sainthood, they must learn humility. The best way to do this is to be properly prepared for the Sacrament through a well-formed Examination of Conscience. Sit down with your child and walk through these steps for their next visit to the confessional. Not only will they learn how to share a sincere confession, they will learn the humility that is necessary for us to have our sins forgiven.