By Fr. Ryan Kaup
A reporter once asked Mother Teresa why she didn’t recoil in protest when someone called her a “living saint.” Shouldn’t a woman as holy as her have humility and stop people from giving her the heavenly label. Mother Teresa replied, “Why not? Sainthood is a duty and you should desire it, too.”
Each New Year has begun in the same way for me since taking over as pastor of the Newman Center: attending the annual SEEK conference sponsored by FOCUS. The first days of January are spent with thousands of college students and parishioners from across the country listening to incredible talks, worshiping together, and being formed for mission. It is always a time of renewal for me; a time to reconnect with old friends and renew my heart for the upcoming semester. This year’s conference was held right outside Denver at the Gaylord of the Rockies Convention Center (a pretty cool venue).
Each SEEK, the Lord encounters me in different ways. One of the graces that I’m carrying with me this year is the story above about Mother Teresa. It was recounted during one of the breakout session talks by Mother Olga of the Sacred Heart (another living saint). As she challenged all of us in the audience to live for heaven, Mother Olga shared this anecdote with such conviction, that it made me pause and reflect: do I see sainthood as a duty? Do I wake up each day with this lens of holiness to guide my thoughts, words, and actions? I don’t know if I do, but I desire to in the depths of my heart. But, is it even possible?
This year we took 300 students from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln to SEEK – students who were all at different places on their faith journey: many who have committed their lives to Jesus; some who are still searching; some who are curious about the Catholic Church; and some who have been away from the sacraments for a long time. It was a gift to be with them and pray with them for those five days of SEEK and then hear what God was doing in their hearts.
Many of the young people experienced deep encounters with Jesus, renewed zeal to reach their friends with the Gospel, and deeper healing in the Lord. In other words, their desire to be saints was stoked in those days.
And it wasn’t just college students. I witnessed thousands of adult parishioners attend sessions through the “Making Missionary Disciples” track on how to evangelize in their parish through small group discipleship and spiritual multiplication – investing in a few, who will then invest in a few to reach the whole world for Jesus Christ. This is the model that Jesus used, and it works! Jesus invested in a small group, who then went out to invest in a few more, and that method continues down the centuries through the Church. That method is the reason we’re talking about Jesus in an article in a newspaper for people in southern Nebraska 2,000 years later.
Friends, holiness is possible now. Reaching the world with the saving Gospel message of Jesus is possible now. Deep intimacy with the living God is possible now. If you don’t believe that, or you simply don’t feel equipped, I invite you to join us next year, Jan. 1-5, 2017, in San Antonio, Texas for the next SEEK conference. You can find more info and register at https://seek.focus.org/.
The SEEK conference isn’t the only way to become a saint, but it is one of the best helps that I have found. I’ve been blessed to attend more than 10 times over the years, and it never gets old. It helps me to be a better man, a better priest, and live more fully alive as a son of God. I’ve seen it impact the lives of so many of my friends, and the students I serve. Three hundred students at UNL who attended are equipped for mission and we’re ready to reach campus for Jesus this semester.
So often, we see the saints as mythical figures, floating out in the ether, but no. No, they were regular men and women, just like you and me; regular human beings with faults and struggles, but they gave everything to Jesus. They trusted in His grace and love and kept their eyes fixed on heaven. The road to holiness isn’t easy – Jesus was clear about that. But it is possible.
So, should we be saints? “Why not? Sainthood is a duty and you should desire it, too.”
