Listen to this astounding quote on the definition of a saint:
“In fact, a saint is not one who carries out great feats based on the excellence of his human qualities, but one who allows Christ to penetrate their soul, to act through their person, He being the real protagonist of all their actions and desires, who inspires every initiative and sustains every silence.
To let oneself be led by Christ in this way is possible only for one who has an intense life of prayer.“ Pope Benedict XVI
St. Thérèse’s thoughts on prayer help clarify; intense prayer does not mean OUR efforts are intense, no it is God’s efforts in us that are intense. In fact, sometimes the most intense prayer times are when we are SLEEPING:
“I should be distressed that I drop off to sleep during my prayers and during my thanksgiving after Holy Communion. But I don’t feel at all distressed. I know that children are just as dear to their parents whether they are asleep or awake and I know that doctors put their patients to sleep before they operate. So I just think that God ‘knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.’”
Life in Christ is all about surrender, letting go of control, giving God permission to act through us. We are simply the aqueduct or pipe which the Spirit flows through. It is child’s play.
Matthew 18:3: and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
I like to say that a child, frog and tree are holy because they are who they called to be without a mask or false persona or large ego.
St. Thérèse understood and embrace a spirituality that is similar to mine.
St. Thérèse said, “Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.”
I pray now by simply resting in Him, looking into the light and His eyes and He looks at me. l simply bask in the light and heat of His presence.
St. Thérèse said,“I say nothing to him; I love him”
He looks at me. I smile. He smiles and immediately fills me with a surge of joy.
Simply be still and know that He is God; He will do the rest of the work in you
joy of nine9 
Second one on same topic I read tonight…Love how God uses others to get through my thick skull 😉
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now this is interesting!
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There is so much practical wisdom here. I will be revisiting this post many times.
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i am sure you can add to it
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There were plenty of saints, before roman catholicism began in the 4th century.
If only the roman catholic so called church had any to lay genuine claim to ??
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but of course there were..there are many nameless, hidden saints, in many differnt churches
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Nameless,hidden….not roman catholic then.
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some people yes, others are from different backgrounds.
A saint can be one of the thousands, perhaps millions of souls who is open and has surrendered to the Light and to Divine Love. A SAINT IS NOT EGOCENTRIC BUT GOD CENTERED and he has chosen to be plugged in to the Body of believers, part of a communion of ‘saints’, both the living and the dead.
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There ehould be no cummunion between
Light : darkness
Believers : unbelievers
Christians : catholicism.
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* communion..
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What a wonderful thing it is to fall asleep in prayer. I do it often.
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the best sleep EVER
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St. Faustina wrote in her diary that before she fell asleep she offered every beat of her heart as an act of love to God. I thought it was brilliant. We don’t have to be conscious to pray, just make the intention to give him everything of ourselves all the time.
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just what I was trying to say …this is perfect .I must add this to the article
THANKS
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