Who We Are - Formation 2003

FORMATION 2006

Foreword and Segments

Theme
#1

Theme
#2

Theme
#3

Theme
#4

Theme
#5

Theme
#6

Theme
#7

Theme
#8

Click here to print document

session NO 1

topic: “The Making of a Saint”

The intent of the Church

opening prayer:   As for the Order Prayers

introduction

The Church does not make a saint – It recognises a saint.

What does the Church look at in declaring a saint? The Church looks at the life of a person:

·        what she/he did;

·        how she/he reacted to the events of life;

·        what people wrote and said about the person;

·        what the she or he wrote or said.

The Church also looks at the question of continuing devotion. In other words, after the person died, did the people keep the memory alive? Is it still alive in the faith of the people? Is that person’s life continuing in the faith of the people?

Taken from the Beatification & Canonisation Leaflet of Blessed Mary MacKillop. Used with permission – Sisters of St. Joseph, North Sydney.

word of god

A Reading from the Letter of Paul to the Romans 1: 7-11, 16, 17.

The Word of God is now read aloud slowly and prayerfully

To all God's beloved . . . who are called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for all of you, because your faith is proclaimed throughout the world. For God, whom I serve with my spirit by announcing the gospel of his Son, is my witness that without ceasing I remember you always in my prayers, asking that by God's will I may somehow at last succeed in coming to you. For I am longing to see you so that I may share with you some spiritual gift to strengthen you--or rather so that we may be mutually encouraged by each other's faith, both yours and mine. For I am not ashamed of the gospel; it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who has faith, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed through faith for faith; as it is written, "The one who is righteous will live by faith."

Allow a few moments reflective silence and then read the following:

word of reflection

Becoming a Saint

The Catholic Church has been formally recognizing saints since the second century. At that time, individuals became saints based more on popular demand than any sort of formal process. Because of this, the list of saints grew quickly. Reforms instituted at Vatican II pared down the list of saints celebrated worldwide in the liturgy. The “saint-making” process, overseen by the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, has also been revised.

There are three steps necessary for a person to become a saint.

First, the person must be named Venerable, which means he or she exhibited heroic virtues in life. Before moving on to beatification, the person must have a miracle attributed to him or her. Once such a miracle is confirmed, the person is known as Blessed. For the final step before canonization, the individual must have yet another miracle attributed to his or her intercession—unless he or she was a martyr for the faith. Only then is a person canonized and added to the list of saints. Often people will say Catholics worship saints. Actually, it’s more of a “looking up to” them as examples of how we should live. Paintings or statues of these saints serve as visual reminders for us to emulate the saints in our own lives. We pray to saints for their intercession, which is like asking a friend of God to ask God for a favour.

One man

“My father died several years ago at the age of 91. He did nothing that the world would call special in his life. He was the father of a large family. He worked hard and endured a loss of hearing for many years. And he always tried to follow the straight and narrow path as he saw it. My father found real joy in going to Mass and celebrating the festivals of the Church. He was always the one who was there for us, saying the kind and understanding word, offering help when needed and knowing when to let go. God was very real in his life. His faith was always strong, and people said of him the most important thing one can say of a man, “He was a good man.” I doubt if my father ever thought about being a saint. I do know that in his own way, he was one. And he, more than any priest or bishop or canonized saint, taught me what it means to live the humble, simple life of faith.

We laypersons must recognize our call to holiness. There are no class distinctions in the Church or in the Christian life. Nor are there any obstacles in the lay life that prevent one from striving and achieving a deep spiritual life. There are enough opportunities, enough suffering, enough challenges and, above all, enough grace for all of us to be as passionate about God as the saints are.                                                                             From “All Called to be Saints” by Lucy Fuchs

For the next five minutes silently read and reflect on the         readings.

Underline what you consider to be key words and/or phrases for you.

the sharing

Share your insights in discussion of the following:                                            (10 mins)

v     What is the most important point in the readings for you and why?

v     What value do you see in devotion to the Saints for yourselves as Knights of the Southern Cross?

conclusion

Leader:           As we conclude this time of reflection, we pray:

All:                  Lord God,

As we reflect on the lives of your Saints help us to learn from them and follow you more fully. Amen.

The meeting proceeds

closing prayers: As for the Order Prayers at the Closing of the Meeting.

Last updated: 12/02/2006