What do you think it means to be a saint? Why is a person considered holy? Is it the miracles that they do, or the way that they live each day? What do you think about being a saint?
Our own Saint, St. Madeleine Sophie Barat, had some thoughts about becoming a saint. She understood it as how one lives her life; and that is how a person interacts with people and situations each day. Not about miracles, she thought, being a saint is about the things we do each day.

Once when she listening to a person who was overcome with worry. She said, “I long to help you bear your burden, and it would make me so happy if I could in any way make it sweeter [easier].”

Looking closely at her words, one can observed her desire and her values. She “longed” to help others. Her happiness was in making things easier for others.

Although, it may not always seem to be so, I think that many of our parents and teachers at Sacred Heart feel that way toward their daughters and students. They truly want to help their daughters and students, and their happiness in making their life easier. When ones “longings” are aligned with the happiness of another, I suspect a person is probably moving in the direction of holiness.

Even St. Madeleine Sophie knew that it was not always easy to help others with their burdens or to make them lighter. She was human after all, and she knew it was about intention and our hearts. She once shared that, “Great hearts, generous hearts, are required in the family of God’s Heart.” Let’s all pray for the grace to have big generous open hearts even when tasks are difficult and to love as Jesus loved each day in all that we do.

Note: Title quote attributed to St. Madeleine Sophie Barat