We've all heard it. Someone or another, undergoing some arduous and to all onlookers unnecessary tribulation gets accused of "bucking for sainthood." People stuck in aggravating situations beyond their control "have got to be saints." The general public has the idea that a saint is someone who out of the goodness of their heart endures some aggravation.
Well, somewhat.
The term saint comes from the Latin word sanctus, meaning "holy." Count yourself lucky...the Greek, which supplies most of our church-words, is a bit awkward for English tongues ([h]agios, if you're interested. No? Moving on...). The implication is that the saint is someone who has done something or is something holy, that has set the saint apart from the rest of us.
But does it have to be that way? Yes, the saint often endures difficult, even horrible trials, like in today's Mass reading from Revelation, which features "a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, robed in white, with palm branches in their hands." (Rev. 7.9) To the question, well, who are these people, the answer is, "These are they who have come out of the great ordeal; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." (Rev. 7.14) These men and women all over the globe did endure horrible things, a test of their faith that was epic.
Still, that is the extreme case when men and women are called on to defend or hold onto the way. The actual daily martyrdom of the saints life is much simpler. That is in today's Gospel reading, that is, the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5.1-12). Those who mourn the ills of the world, are humble, meek, pure in heart, merciful, peaceful, and enduring, those are the ones who get God's Kingdom. It's all about looking out for the true number one...not ourselves but our neighbour. It's all about keeping our focus on God's priorities, not our own. It's about holding fast to it, no matter what may come.
We've been so focused on ourselves, our agendas, on thwarting the will of our enemies, that we have lost sight of this. Perhaps it's time to get back to the Mount and heed the Wisdom of Our Lord. Perhaps.
