It’s always fun at the end of the year to stock of things – to see what the past year has brought, count our blessings and see how far we’ve come. While there are always many things to consider, answering just one question can give us all a good idea of the progress (and hopefully not lack there of!) we’ve made: are we closer to being saints?
On the one hand I realize this question seems somewhat ridiculous. Most of us have either been taught to mock the saints (for being old-fashioned or prudish) or to feel that such a love of God is unattainable for the every day person. But whatever we think of our chances of becoming saints, there can be no denying that it what God wants for us. In fact, all of what God wills for us is ultimately tied into this desire. Everything He sends our way is designed for us to grow closer to Him, to serve Him better (and so serve others better), to love Him more – to become saints. So as incredible as it may sound, what God wants for you and for me is sainthood.
Of course there are plenty of other questions we can ask as we evaluate the past year. Am I letting Jesus into new areas of my life (since all of us are holding out in some areas, sometimes even unwittingly!)? Am I doing God’s will more often now than last year? We can examine different areas of our lives too. Has our prayer life improved? What about our sacramental life? Are we actively reading the Bible and learning about our faith? Are we doing more to serve others and mortify our own desires?
While looking back is helpful to see the course we’ve been on, being a Christian is about living in the moment. It’s about trusting the future to our Father and focusing on the now. After all, Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” So what can we do today to love God more? What changes can we make today that will move us closer toward sainthood? Here’s to another year on the journey towards God!
