By: Father Pinto Paul, C.S.C. on February 27th, 2023
Do you know what the worst thing in life is? The worst thing in life is not to be a saint. Leon Bloy said, “The only real sadness in life, the only real failure in life, the only real tragedy in life, is not to be a saint.”
In the first reading, the Lord said to Moses, “Speak to the whole assembly of the children of Israel and tell them: Be holy, for I, the Lord, your God, am holy.” The call is clear: the measure of our holiness is that of God himself. “To be holy, then, is to be in communion with God and also with one’s fellow saints.” (Scott Hahn)
We know it is not easy, but we can grow in holiness and be more Christ-like every day by practicing humility and kindness, serving others, forgiving, listening, and praying every day.
So, friends, the best thing that can happen to you and to me in this life is to become saints and be filled with joy. What a wonderful way to be Christ-like every day.
Father Pinto Paul C.S.C., ordained a priest in the Congregation of Holy Cross in 1999, worked with tribal populations in northeast India as a missionary for ten years. In 2010 he came to the US for further studies. While working as a campus minister at Stonehill College, he assisted pastors in local parishes, led seminars and workshops for teachers and students in the US and earned a master’s degree in Educational Administration from Boston College and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from Lesley University, Cambridge. He is currently working as the International Director of the Boston-based Holy Cross Family Ministries with missions in 18 countries.