To the Band of Brothers: November 2, 2020
Good morning!
One of my professors at Fordham University once said in class that the purpose of education was the formation of saints. His comment really shocked me. I always thought the purpose of education was the formation of doctors, lawyers, and engineers. I mean, who will run the future of our society if not doctors, lawyers, and engineers. But as I look at the society that surrounds us, maybe there is something to what my professor said. What if education not simply formed doctors, lawyers, and engineers, but formed them also to be saints?
Yesterday, we celebrated the feast day of All the Saints. Not only the thousands of men, women, and children who are known to us because they have gone through the arduous process of canonization and have feast days lined up and down the liturgical year, but also those who have not been canonized and are saints as well.
Fr. Jorge Sardiña, who I have mentioned in emails before, has not been officially raised to the ranks of sainthood by the universal Church, but anyone who knew him would find it hard to argue against his holiness. Another example is Bishop Enrique San Pedro, who was my tenth-grade theology teacher, missionary to the East, and spiritual director. While his cause for canonization has been formally introduced, he still hasn’t been crowned with the halo. Again, anyone who knew him would agree he is a saint.
So, if the purpose of education is the formation of saints and there are so many who are, even though they may not have been recognized officially by the Vatican, the question is, what is a saint?
I think the answer lies in yesterday’s gospel reading. Taken from the Gospel of St. Matthew (there is another version similar to it in St. Luke), the Sermon on the Mount is the moment when Jesus gives what is commonly known as the beatitudes (5:1-12). The word comes from the Latin beatitudo, which means “supreme happiness.” This is basically Jesus’s list of things a person needs to live in order to truly be happy. They are a bit shocking because they seem to counter what the world oftentimes tells us are the key to happiness but isn’t it just like him to throw these curveballs.
For example, Jesus claims, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.” Poor? Isn’t the purpose of life, the purpose of a solid education, the purpose of working hard, to not be poor? We have all seen the images on television of poverty around the world. Who wants that? How can that make us happy?
Jesus is not simply claiming that lacking wealth is the key to happiness. What he is saying is that money is not the key to happiness. Poor in spirit has more to do with dependence on God and having Him at the center of our existence. When we make a lot of money, we run a greater risk of losing our bearings and having it take control of who we are and what we do. We have a tendency of depending more on ourselves, the market, and the product than we do on God.
The saint is the one who has not lost his center. He or she is the person who realizes the importance of staying focused on the Lord and realizes that, if anything, wealth is simply an opportunity to better the lives of others and the community we live in.
Actually, there have been wealthy saints recognized by the Church throughout the years. Take St. Louis IX of France for example. Crowned at the age of 12 in Reims, he was known for his compassion and love for the poor and the needy of the realm. He gave much of his riches away, founded churches, convents, and orphanages. He used his power and wealth for the good of his people. So much so, his cause for canonization was not initiated by the hierarchy of the Church, but by the common folk who insisted he should be proclaimed a saint.
Let’s do one more. Jesus famously says, “blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.” In a world that tells us only the strong will survive and “nice guys always finish last,” Jesus seems to say that true happiness lies in being meek, gentle, unassuming.
Here, I always turn to St. Teresa of Calcutta. I don’t think the world has ever met a more unassuming person. Measuring in at five feet, wrinkled, and bent over, this woman was meekness personified. She spoke softly, wore a simple white sari her whole life, and always smiled every time she was asked a question or made a comment. Yet, she appeared before every government official around the world, spoke at the UN, dialogued with dictators and warmongers, and even received the Nobel Peace Prize. Why? Because although meek, she had the heart of a lion rooted solely in Jesus Christ. Her drive was not to save every leper in India or feed every mouth in Haiti, her drive was to do the will of God no matter what it was.
When Jesus preached that sermon on the beatitudes, he never meant it for a small number of people. His intention was for it to be heard and lived by every man, woman, and child. It is not simply the key to happiness for a select few, but the key to happiness for all. While we live in a different time and come from different backgrounds, levels of education, and wealth, the human spirit and its origin remain the same. We are all children of God and therefore called to the same life in Christ. True happiness, no matter what our profession or preferences, lies in being a saint. So, let’s get to it.
Auspice Maria
BELEN JESUIT PREPARATORY SCHOOL
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
500 SW 127th Avenue, Miami, FL 33184
phone: 305.223.8600 | fax: 305.227.2565 | email: webmaster@belenjesuit.org
Belen Jesuit Preparatory School was founded in 1854 in Havana, Cuba by Queen Isabel II of Spain. The task of educating students was assigned to the priests and brothers of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits), whose teaching tradition is synonymous with academic excellence and spiritual discipline. In 1961, the new political regime of Cuba confiscated the School property and expelled the Jesuit faculty. The School was re-established in Miami the same year, and over the next decade, continued to grow. Today, Belen Jesuit sits on a 30-acre site in western Dade County, only minutes away from downtown Miami.