Years ago, when I was working on a book about Catholic scientists, I read about Pope Sylvester II, (1000 A.D.) who introduced Arabic numerals to the West. Then I read about Leonardo Bonaci, aka Fibonacci (~1200 A.D.) who introduced Arabic numerals to the West. Then I read about Leonardo Da Vinci (~ 1500 A.D.) who introduced Arabic numerals to the West. There might have been more. In the end I realized that it took 500 years to make the idea stick.
There’s a similar attribution that happens with certain saints. Saint Francis deSales (~1600) is all about holiness in daily life for ordinary people. So are Saint Therese of Lisieux and Saint Josemaria Escriva, both of whom lived 400 years later. They are all credited with trying to bring this new idea to the Church, when people are carelessly discussing them. Obviously, it’s not a new idea. Obviously, in another 200 years there will be another saint, tirelessly trying to persuade everyone that holiness is for the masses, not just for — priests, nuns, mothers, doctors, teachers, take your pick. This idea has been in the works for 2,000 years and it hasn’t quite stuck yet.
We are stubborn, so we have reasons why holiness isn’t for today, now, here, me. The word ‘holiness’ itself, sometimes turns people away. All it means is living with Jesus.
Unfortunately, in this broken world, that can be confusing. There are endless books about aspects of Jesus and God and theology, and how to reach Him, and how not to reach Him. And even discussing books betrays my own bias.
Holiness is for all of us. Therefore the ways to be holy have to be incredibly varied.
I recently met one of the professors from Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, in Philadelphia, and I became an instant fangirl. She is the head of the Scripture department. Once, in my ignorance, I would have been huffy about the idea of a woman in this position. I would have been so wrong.
She did an interview several years ago with some of the youngest seminarians at Saint Charles about how she came to study Scripture. She said that when she first studied Scripture she realized that she could be closer to God in a “more excellent, more profound, more beautiful” way than anywhere else. Just listen to this woman talking about finding the thing she loved and doing it wholeheartedly.