Do you wish to become a saint? "Am I cut out for this?" one might ask. Does God really expect me to become a saint? Will this not mean many sacrifices and a boring life? Not so. It truly is God's will that each of us be saints. Pope Francis illustrates this in his latest apostolic exhortation, Gaudete et Exsultate (Rejoice and Be Glad), on the call to holiness in today's world. (See pages 5 to 21.)
To be a saint means to accomplish the unique mission God has entrusted to each of us to build His Kingdom of peace and justice. Far from requiring a life without joy, our personal mission is the recipe for true happiness on earth since the main ingredients are the beatitudes: "Blessed are the merciful, etc…"
The Holy Father noted that one of the characteristics of sanctity is a sense of humour. (See page 18.)
Being a saint requires us to practice the commandment to love God and our neighbour. "If you keep my commandments, you will remain in my love… My commandment is this: Love each other as I have loved you" (John 15:9 and 17). Jesus identifies with us when he says: "Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me." (Matthew 25:40). Some have had the grace to encounter Jesus in the sick. (See A Fan of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, on page 22.)
God's grace is needed if we are to become saints. Our Lord says: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing" (John 15:5). We must remain united to God, first by receiving His body and blood in Holy Communion, so that we may be transformed and be made like Him. An exemplary way to remain united to Jesus is St. Louis de Montfort's Consecration to Jesus through Mary. (See page 31.)
In paragraph 101 of Gaudete et Exsultate, the apostolic exhortation on holiness, Pope Francis reminds us not to limit ourselves to defending only one aspect of human life; that we must rather defend all life from the moment of conception until death: "Our defence of the innocent unborn, for example, needs to be clear, firm and passionate… Equally sacred, however, are the lives of the poor, those already born, the destitute, the abandoned and the underprivileged… We cannot uphold an ideal of holiness that would ignore injustice in a world where some revel, spend with abandon and live only for the latest consumer goods, even as others look on from afar, living their entire lives in abject poverty."
For this reason, MICHAEL addresses monetary matters (see pages 39 onwards), and offers a solution that all might have access to life's basics through Economic Democracy, also called Social Credit. But Social Credit is more than a simple monetary reform; it is above all the confidence that binds together all members of society, without which life together is impossible.
We are thus led back to the love of neighbor and to follow God's Commandments. This is what Social Credit is all about. Otherwise, as Pope Francis explains, our defense of the human person is not complete. Happy reading, and much success on your path toward sainthood!
Alain Pilote
Editor