"This world and the world to come are two enemies. We cannot therefore be friends to both; but we must decide which we will forsake and which we will enjoy."
-Pope St. Clement I
Strong words from Pope St. Clement, especially in a day and age when forsaking the world is not only difficult, but derided as backward and nonsensical, especially for those who were raised in it. It is often tempting to look around oneself today and wonder where good people have gone, where are the saints we so desperately need today? I have the answer! If you look around yourself, you'll see them. Or, at least I see them when I do. This is because I am friends with an extraordinary number of living saints, and I could not be more honored to know them.
Recently, a group of Catholics at my university have been vocally opposing the HHS Mandate, and trying to recruit as many people as possible to join us in doing so. It is absolutely astonishing to see the lengths to which they will go to do it. I'm talking kids in social and professional Greek organizations, on sports teams, at the top of their classes, and those with tremendous influence on others putting themselves out there to defend our rights and the Gospel. These are young men and women who know the costs of what they are doing, but love Christ with such steadfastness and strength that they cannot do otherwise. It continually amazes me to see them at work.
Take, for instance, one of our many amazing freshmen. She is the boldest, sweetest, and craziest defender of human life I think any of us knows. If anyone calls into question matters regarding life, she is without fail the first one to stand up and speak out. Some people are inhibited by fears of what others will think of them, but she is not. To her, witnessing Christ to everyone around her is an essential part of the way she lives her life, and she doesn't know how not to do it. She is a brilliant young woman who uses her keen intellect and compassionate heart to argue the truth in love to all people in all situations. I'm sure we will see much more of her stupendous work for the next three and a half years.
Take the Newman Center's president. He is not particularly loud, and nobody would accuse him of being brash or seeking confrontation, but he is astonishingly brave. As the leader of one of the least popular groups on campus, he has taken the initiative to stand up for us publicly and speak out on this mandate. He sent an opinion piece to one of our school's publications, arguing both from a religious and secular standpoint why this mandate should not be allowed to stand. He made several competent and moving points, and he made sure that the article was widely circulated, his name displayed prominently at the bottom. He will not seek unnecessary confrontation, but as a leader and member of the faithful, he will rise to the occasion when it is required of him, and back the rest of us up when we need it.
Then there is our pro-life director. Putting aside the difficulty of being the leading advocate for life as a young man, he is one of the best motivators and best men I know. There is no battle he will not fight if he has to, and he will never ask anyone to do something he will not do himself. Additionally, he is willing to do just about anything, which means he is forever inspiring the lot of us to do more, and challenging us to push our own boundaries for God and the Gospel. When we are feeling weak or despondent, he is there with the perfect motivational words, reminding us how proud he is of us, and how honored he is to serve us as a leader. If there is a better, more upright man to do the job this one does, I cannot imagine where he exists or what he is like.
My final individual example of living saints among my friends is the Newman Center's vice president. Nobody will deny that this extraordinary young woman is about as close to sainthood as a living person can be. Her mere presence among us is both balm in our weakness and strength for the struggles ahead. She inspires us simply by her example, and a lovelier paradigm of faith, hope, and love there is not. Add to that the tremendous amount of suffering she endures each day with quiet patience and perseverance, and it is no wonder that we commonly joke about why she has not already been canonized. I cannot imagine how we would get along if she were not there to provide us with the strength and virtue which she embodies every day of her life.
These examples, of course, are not to diminish all the other living saints I know, who toil long and hard for Christ, and do so joyfully. They never cease to amaze me with the dedication and love they show to their faith, in spite of disapproval from all sides, and the pressures of being a young Catholic adult, especially in college. They don't flinch, they don't back down, and they never stop hoping, praying, or working for the advancement of the Gospel. There is no test or suffering the have not or will not endure, and they show the courage of martyrs each day, inspiring everyone around them to do the same. I love each of them genuinely for what they do and who they are. I cannot imagine my life without their influence, and I cannot imagine my faith without their own.
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