The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
It is not even noon, and my toddler has already had their 5th potty accident of the day. Yesterday’s dinner was accidentally left out overnight and completely spoiled. My voice has taken on an annoyed tone to answer every question asked of me.
When I was younger, I assumed holiness would look more glamorous. Stories of saints being courageous and faithful against incredible odds filled my childhood and my imagination: how would I change the world?
St. Teresa of Avila wrote “sometimes the devil gives us great desires so that we will avoid setting ourselves to the task at hand, serving our Lord in possible things, and instead be content with having desired the impossible.”
Our daily annoyances can seem like barriers to holiness, when in reality they are the conditions under which we are being called to become saints. I so easily feel defeated with the chaos of life right now, that I forget I am given an opportunity to live out the corporeal and spiritual works of mercy on an hourly basis.
Today is the Solemnity of all Saints, and the Gospel is one of my absolute favorites: The Beatitudes. Who can pray with them and not be convicted? Who can reflect on them and not find peace in remembering that success and victory in this world is not the endgame?
St. Therese writes about understanding “how easy it is to become all wrapped up in self, forgetting entirely the sublime goal of one’s calling.” The beatitudes invite us to take a step back and gain an eternal perspective.
Looking at our brothers and sisters in heaven, we can know that holiness takes so many different forms: St. Joan of Arc rallied troops, fought battles, and was burned at the stake. St. Therese of Lisieux never left her little convent and died of tuberculosis. What is constant is the relentless pursuit of God—and that looks different for all of us.
When I feel overwhelmed by the weight of all the pain and chaos in the world, and how I am somehow called to be a saint in the midst of it all, I can’t help but think of this quote from Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings in which Frodo mourns: “I wish the Ring had never come to me. I wish none of this had happened.” Gandalf responds in charity: “So do all who live to see such times, but that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us.”
Lord, help me to see You in each moment of the day. Keep my eyes fixed on where You are leading me and what You have entrusted to my care.
Regina Gray, LPC works as a mental health counselor in Austin, TX. She enjoys reading, crafting with other moms, and a nice cup of coffee. You can often find Regina with her husband, chasing after their two wild toddlers: Ezra and Eloise. Please pray for them as they prepare to expand to a family of 5 this winter!
