Singles for Christ Ministry – Regional Annual Conference – Manly
Today’s short gospel (Luke 8:1-3) speaks not only of the presence of women in the life of Jesus, but perhaps even more significantly also of the simple, ordinary ways by which Jesus is nurtured and by which he is cared. If this be true, we, ourselves, care for the life of Jesus in the simple ordinary tasks of our day. Doing the ordinary in an extraordinary way. It is a theme that is central to the perspective of Pope Francis. In an interview not long after his election, he remarked
“I see the sanctity of God’s people, this daily sanctity. I see the holiness in the patience of the people of God: a woman who is raising children, a man who works to bring home the bread, the sick, the elderly priests who have so many wounds but have a smile on their faces because they served the Lord, the sisters who work hard and live a hidden sanctity. This is for me the common sanctity. I often associate sanctity with patience: not only patience as . . . taking charge of the events and circumstances of life, but also as a constancy in going forward, day by day. This is the sanctity of the militant church also mentioned by St. Ignatius. This was the sanctity of my parents: my dad, my mom, my grandmother Rosa who loved me so much. In my breviary I have the last will of my grandmother Rosa, and I read it often. For me it is like a prayer. She is a saint who has suffered so much, also spiritually, and yet always went forward with courage.”[1]
Only last year did Francis bring these sentiments to their fulfillment in his Exhortation on the Call to Holiness in Today’s World, Gaudete et Exsultate.He speaks there of “the saints next door.”
“To be holy does not require being a bishop, a priest or a religious. We are frequently tempted to think that holiness is only for those who can withdraw from ordinary affairs to spend much time in prayer. That is not the case. We are all called to be holy by living our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do, wherever we find ourselves. Are you called to the consecrated life? Be holy by living out your commitment with joy. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ does for the Church. Do you work for a living? Be holy by labouring with integrity and skill in the service of your brothers and sisters. Are you a parent or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching the little ones how to follow Jesus. Are you in a position of authority? Be holy by working for the common good and renouncing personal gain.”[2]
“This holiness to which the Lord calls you will grow through small gestures. Here is an example: a woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbour and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts. But she says in her heart: “No, I will not speak badly of anyone”. This is a step forward in holiness. Later, at home, one of her children wants to talk to her about his hopes and dreams, and even though she is tired, she sits down and listens with patience and love. That is another sacrifice that brings holiness. Later she experiences some anxiety, but recalling the love of the Virgin Mary, she takes her rosary and prays with faith. Yet another path of holiness. Later still, she goes out onto the street, encounters a poor person and stops to say a kind word to him. One more step.”[3]
This is the “martyrdom of ordinariness” we might say. It is the vision at the heart of the mission of the Singles for Christ Ministry. It is the daily self-sacrifice to which all of us are called, and which those who sacrificed their life by blood, such as the Korean martyrs whose memory we celebrate through the Church today, challenge us to consider.
Faithful to the witness of the women in today’s gospel, let us pray then we will all be those who can indeed nurture the life of Jesus around us in all that we do: in the way that we work, the way we speak, the way we act, the way we love. As Francis reminds, us, “we should not grow discouraged before the examples of holiness that appear unattainable . . . the important things is that each [of us] discern his or her path, that [we] bring out the very best of [ourselves], the most personal gifts that God has placed in [our] hearts, rather than hopelessly trying to imitate something not meant for [us].”[4] May your time together over these days be such as to help you “realise what that word is, the message of Jesus that God wants to speak to the world by your life. Let yourself be transformed. Let yourself be renewed by the Spirit, so that this can happen, lest you fail in your precious mission.”[5]
[1]Antonio Spadaro SJ, “A Big Heart Open to God: An interview with Pope Francis, 30 September 2013, https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2013/09/30/big-heart-open-god-interview-pope-francis
[2]Gaudete et Exsultate, “On the Call to Holiness in Today’s World,” Apostolic Exhortation, (19 March 2018), n.14.
[3]Gaudete et Exsultate,n.16.
[4]Gaudete et Exsultate,n.11.
[5]Gaudete et Exsultate,n.24.
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