Saints aren’t Superheroes — the secrets to holiness

A Cuban girl is baptized at the sanctuary of Our Lady of Charity of El Cobre in Cuba Feb. 11, 2012. (CNS photo/Nancy Phelan Wiechec)

VATICAN CITY —  Today on the feast of All Saints, Pope Francis revealed the secrets to holiness, saying it’s not some rare “privilege for the few,” but an inheritance everyone receives at baptism.

“Saints aren’t superheroes nor were they born perfect. They are like us, each one of us,” just that when they experienced the life-changing encounter with God,” they never left his side, the pope said during today’s Angelus address.

Pope Francis essentially gave a road-map today for how to follow this path to holiness. The path “has a name and a face,” he said. “It’s the face of Jesus Christ. He teaches us to become saints.”

So You Want to Be a Saint — Secrets of Success:

• Experience God’s love.

• Follow God with your whole heart, without compromise, without hypocrisy.

• Spend your life serving others.
  

  A volunteer distributes food at the Bank of the Poor in Valencia, Spain, June 12, 2012. According to Caritas Internationalis, more than 11 million people live under the edge of poverty in Spain. ( CNS photo/Heino Kalis, Reuters)

• Bear suffering and adversity without hating. “Saints never hated,” the pope said, because love comes from God and hate comes from the devil. “Saints kept far away from the devil.”

• Respond to evil with goodness.

• Have a joyous heart and spread joy and peace to others.

• Pray.

• Follow the path of the Beatitudes (Mt. 5: 3-12).

• Don’t derive your sense of security from things, but from God’s love.

• Have a simple, humble heart.

• Don’t assume you are righteous.

• Don’t judge others.
  

  Daughter of Charity Sister Sophie Boueri comforts a Palestinian child at a creche for abandoned children in Bethlehem, West Bank, Sept. 22, 2010. (CNS photo/Paul Haring)

• Know how to suffer with those who suffer and rejoice with those who rejoice.

• Don’t be violent. Be merciful.

• Seek to be builders of reconciliation and peace. “Always help reconcile people and always help to bring peace.”

The pope said the path God shows us to holiness “is beautiful, it’s a beautiful journey!”

And along this journey, the pope said, the saints are on the sidelines encouraging everyone to not be afraid.

“Don’t be afraid to go against the current or to be misunderstood and derided when we speak about (Jesus) and the Gospels.”

The saints’ message to people today is “trust in the Lord because he never disappoints. He is a good friend, always by our side.”