Saints

Saint Padre Pio became the father of saints despite having no biological children (Saint Padre Pio was a celibate priest).

Carlos Acutis Mother

It is no easy thing to be the mother (or father) of a saint. 

And yet, this is what every parent is called to be. 

And I am not speaking only of biological parents, because those of us who are not biological parents, may be called to be spiritual parents to those around them...  Saint Padre Pio, for example, adopted many spiritual children, and in so adopting them, took those souls and their families under his spiritual care just as any biological father would.  And in this way, Saint Padre Pio became the father of saints despite having no biological children (Saint Padre Pio was a celibate priest).

To be the mother of a saint, means is that my child – whether that child is my biological or spiritual child – must have died and after death gone straight to heaven.  There is no such thing as a living Saint.  The only way that a soul can be a saint – by the very definition of sainthood – is for the person to have first died and gone straight to Heaven.

Though there are many souls who are saints who are never canonised, as the cause for their Sainthood was never officially opened by the Church; to be a canonised Saint, the person’s life and death are investigated, and miracles are investigated to “prove” that the soul’s sanctity.  Sometimes, these tests – or miracles – are achieved very quickly, as was the case following the deaths of Saints Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John Paul II and Carlo Acutis.  Other times, as in the case of Saint Joan D’Arc, almost 500 years elapsed between her death and canonisation… 

When I was watching the televised canonisation of Saint Carlo Acutis, I was particularly moved by the attendance of this Saint’s family at his canonisation. 

And it got me thinking…

It is no easy thing to be the mother of a Saint. 

You see, the mother of a Saint must first bury her child.  Then she must make a conscious choice to have faith in God – which is surely shaken by the premature death of her child.  This faith is not a feeling, it is a decision – inspired by Grace – which is why we pray for those whose faith is tested. 

Faith is the decision to jump off a cliff.  Just as I cannot choose to jump off a cliff and hold onto the edge at the same time, it is impossible for a soul to have faith and no faith at the same time.  One must believe in God and all He promises or not believe at all – there is no “halfway”, no “lukewarmness” in faith.  Christ Himself revealed His aversion to lukewarm souls through revelations, “My soul suffered the most dreadful loathing in the Garden of Olives because of lukewarm souls.” (Diary of Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska, 1228).

Thus, the mother (and father) of a Saint cannot have lukewarm souls…

I should know – I (like so many others in our local community) am the mother of a Saint. 

You see, my youngest child died before he was even born.  Had he been born, he would have been baptised in the Catholic Church and would have received the sacraments.  Dying as he did in innocence within my womb, he had no occasion to offend God and thus, because I know that he received Baptism by desire, and I have faith in the mercy of God, I know my son went straight to Heaven and is a little saint. 

Ergo, I am the mother of a Saint.

But I did not realise this at first.  At first I was so angry with God.  This lasted years, during which time (and unbeknown to me) others prayed for me… 

And then, one day – when I was angrily prayed for my little niece who was very sick – the Holy Spirit came into my heart and in an instant I KNEW – with a Superhuman strength – that God had not taken anything from me through the death of my child, He had GIVEN me a Saint…

And I hear this in the words of warning in the Gospel, “The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of.  He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the hypocrites, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 24:50-51).  And it occurs to me that while it may be difficult to be the mother of a saint, if I do my job well and please my God through the sanctity of my children (biological and spiritual), then perhaps – through God’s Grace – there will be no weeping or gnashing of teeth in my eternity…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.