Secret of Saints
You are not perfect and never will be. This is the first and foremost reminder for those who seek a high level of spiritual life. Perfection is a process and a way of life, not an end in itself. Jesus says, "Be perfect like your heavenly Father is perfect." This does not mean that you should beat yourself up to be perfect, just focus on your goal, which is God and live in His presence. In my own experience, as I journey with the lives and examples of the Saints, there are many things in which I see all their qualities in each other. Thus, the values I think most of the Saints have in common are balance, living in the present moment, and gratitude every time.
The Saints balance their lives. Every one of us has our own set of priorities, which enables us to do what that priority may be, whatever that may be. The key to all of the things that they are about to do daily is balance. A balanced life means you have time for prayer, recreation, and study equally. Too much and too little are not healthy for the soul. The entire human person should be nurtured because this is what God desires for us to experience, and with all of these aspects, may we realize God's love in our lives and ultimately attribute all of these to the greater glory of God. A saint who exemplified this is St. John Bosco. He is a well-known magician in his time because it is fun and, most especially, he shares his talent for magic with children to persuade them to attend Mass. He says, "Run, jump, play, laugh, make noise, but do not sin."
Saints live in the present moment. Looking into the past and the future does nothing. But hoping for the future and leaving the past will make a change for the better. The reason is that you will have the ability to do your work productively and efficiently. "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). They seize the present moment by contemplating God's presence at every moment. They have the present moment to pray and just share with God whatever the content of their heart is. As a result, they are always peaceful to look at and be around. Their smiles and glowing faces showed the peace they had with God in the present moment.
The Saints are grateful every time. God is the creator, and we are his creatures. This is the basic principle of the Saints that inspires them to be grateful at every moment. They grab the opportunity to take notice of the things that we use in life and attribute them to God, who has given all of these things to us. They frequent the sacraments that give us the grace that we need to attain salvation. This is the most special thing that most saints are grateful for.
All these values that they carry in their hearts make them at ease and deepen their love for one another. As in the words of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J., "Fall in love, stay in love, and it will decide everything." Each and every one of us can be a saint. In the diversity of Saints, we see the different personalities and backgrounds the unique significance that they had is their love by doing ordinary things extraordinarily. As the advice of St. Catherine of Siena, "Be who God meant you to be and you will set the world on fire."
