My Parish Priest carried over All Saints Day to this Sunday so he could ask us some questions and talk to us in practicalities about saints and their lives. While he didn’t ask if they had they stress free lives he did ask us if they were all perfect. And of course we said no.
So why do so many Christians try to pretend they have perfect lives or lives without stress? I went through a number of years of struggling and during that time I truly did feel that I was condemned to the point of believing the only way to end the struggle was to end my life. Instead I read the Bible and underlined verses of despair and triumph that are woven all through the Psalms. I could relate to the Sainted Psalmists. The depth of their despair and the height of their hope. I chose to cling to their hope and let my despair go. Doing that doesn’t give anyone a stress free life, but it gives a person going through stress a different focus, menatally, emotionally, and most important, spiritually. Seems to me that saints have Hope, and sinners have Despair. Truth is we all have some of both in us. Often, the largest struggle is within ourselves, the saint and sinner inside all of us are at war with one another. Sometimes it seems it is easier to love other sinners than it is to love our own sinful selves. It is the saint in us that allows us to love other sinners and it is in the saint in us that we must call upon to love our sinful self. It’s a stressful battle – but it’s one that can be won with God’s helper in us – the Holy Spirit. Some of the best prayers I’ve ever prayed were short and quick.
God Help Me!
God Save Me!
Come Holy Spirit!
Jesus Forgive Me!
Lord, Be My Guide!
Lord, teach me to love myself.
Today our Parish Priest told the congregation that everyone is called to become a saint. I believe that and I hope you do too. We believe in the Communion (community and unity) of saints and within this common union with the Lord we find joy and hope and resurrection of hope and life eternal. It’s a wonderful way to live.
So all you saints . . . how do you pray when you’re stressed?
