Who Are the Living Saints?

The idea of a saintly person recalls on the one hand a very blessed, positive, and inspirational example of our humanity and on the other hand a judgmental, outdated, and unattainable persona that for many people is not taken seriously as an aspirational achievement. I think that most people not only see a saint as someone who has died but someone who must be dead to be considered a real saint.

I have read that "A saint (also historically known as a hallow) is a person who is recognized as having an exceptional degree of holiness or likeness or closeness to God." (Source: Wikipedia). Working with this definition of a saint, I believe that there are living saints, that not every saint is dead. We should be looking for the living saints among us. Living saints are not people who are trying to be perfect or who judge others harshly or believe they are better than other people.

Becoming a living saint is attainable. They are regular people that we see around us who have allowed God to change them fundamentally forever.

How does that fundamental change happen? I invite you to study a reading from John 11:32-44 where Jesus comes to the aid of his friend Lazarus. In that reading Jesus is called upon to help Lazarus in one way, but Jesus' desire to reveal his regenerative nature created an opportunity for those around him then and for us today to see the pathway to living sainthood.