Saints in the Making
"Do not be afraid to become the saints of the new millennium!"
Pope St. John Paul the Great
Some of you may remember Fr. Leo Patalinghug, known as the “cooking priest” and founder of The Plating Grace ministry, who spoke to parishioners and students at St. Michael’s Parish a few years ago about the value of family meals as a way to strengthen relationships. In addition to being an award-winning chef and radio and TV host, he assists with the marriage preparation process at his home parish in Baltimore, Maryland. He tells engaged couples that their primary role in marriage to ensure that their spouse gets to heaven.
As parents, grandparents, and Catholic school teachers we certainly place a high priority on the education of our children. We want them to seek and develop their God-given talents and use them to their fullest potential. However, just like Fr. Leo suggests, we also need to make sure they make it to heaven one day; we want them to aspire to become Saints.
Last Thursday, Archbishop Fulton Sheen became the first bishop born in the United States to be beatified, the third and final step in the process of being named a Saint of the church. Thousands of people gathered in St. Louis, Missouri, for the liturgy, which was presided over by Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle (from Manila, Philippines, and a friend of our pastor Fr. Mel!). What is so significant and encouraging about this recent celebration is the hope it gives to each one of us on our own spiritual path.
Archbishop Sheen was born in a small town in Illinois. He was an altar server but even he made mistakes – he actually dropped a glass cruet of wine during Mass! Eventually he studied in Europe where he received a Doctorate in Philosophy. Later in life he was the host of a radio program, The Catholic Hour, and then a TV show, Life is Worth Living. It was not his celebrity status, however, that was so significant. Rather, it was his commitment to spending one hour every day praying in front of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament.
It is Archbishop Sheen whom we credit for creating the World Mission Rosary, which St. Michael’s School students pray each year (our Living Rosary this year will be Friday, October 16). Each decade is a different color representing a different part of the world, and students wear a colored shirt matching the continent their class has been selected to represent (Green – Africa, Red – The Americas, White – Europe, Blue – the Pacific Islands, Yellow – Asia).
We look to the Saints as inspiration and as models to help us on our journey. From Blessed Fulton Sheen, we learn to: 1) use our gifts from God, 2) embrace and learn from mistakes, 3) spend some time each day in prayer, 4) use technology for the greater good, and 5) pray for everyone in the world, especially those who are less fortunate.
To remind our students about the life of Blessed Fulton Sheen, we have ordered prayer cards for each of them, which we will distribute as soon as they arrive. In the meantime, please consider praying this prayer with them every day. Who knows, we likely have many Saints-in-the-Making among us!
A Prayer for our Students
Blessed Fulton Sheen, you loved Jesus with your whole heart
and shared Him with the whole world.
Pray for us, that we may be brave when we make mistakes,
use our gifts to help others, and spend time with Jesus every day. Amen.
Blessed Fulton J. Sheen, pray for us!
Deo Gratias, Kathy
