Seven new saints were canonized on Sunday! Seven! That is seven new intercessors for us to pray to. Seven new examples to look to. Seven new means of great graces. The seven new saints are St. Paul VI, St. Oscar Romero, St. Vincent Romano, St. Francesco Spinelli, St. Nunzio Sulprizio, St. Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa, and St. Maria Katharina Kasper. They have incredible stories! The stories are so encouraging, inspiring, and impactful. While at the same time, some of the stories highlight the simple things that we are called to do, to pour Christ’s love into these little things to make them extraordinary.
It is an incredible witness to realize that people who lived in a time so close to us are now saints. They prove that holiness is possible. Who doesn’t want to be a saint? A saint is someone who is in heaven, so I think we all want to be saints. Hopefully we all desire it, but it is also common to have misconstrued concepts of what being a saint is. We might think it is simply unobtainable or all for the glory of ourselves. It is hard to understand, but I think even through this we realize it is a good that we desire and should work towards.
One of the new saints stuck out to me as I did not know anything about them prior to this week. I had heard of Pope Paul VI and his work as well as Oscar Romero, but I had never heard of the others. One that really stuck out was St. Nunzio Sulprizio.
St. Nunzio Sulprizio grew up with a tough family background. He lost both parents and was exploited by his uncle who raised him. He lost both of his legs to gangrene, and eventually died at the age of 19 from bone cancer after he spent his life caring for others who were sick and suffering. How did this man who didn’t even reach the age of 20 and suffered greatly become someone we know worldwide? He suffered all for and with Christ. St. Nunzio Sulprizio said, “Jesus suffered a lot for me. Why should I not suffer for Him? I would die in order to convert even one sinner.” How beautiful! At the same time, how hard it is to understand that.
I used to always think that being afflicted with some disease or illness would be my ticket to sainthood, but now as I have been given small burdens of injuries or illnesses I see it is not an easy path. While it can give us a new perspective and understanding of our dependence on God, it is also easy in these times to wallow in our self pity, to seek other people to pamper us, or just complain.
But, our burdens are paths to Jesus. It does not have to be anything big, but whatever it is we are to carry it well. We get to participate in the sacrifice Jesus made on the Christ which brought about our redemption. St. Nunzio realized this as an act of true love, something that stems from a real relationship with Jesus. We can be so close to Jesus! So every stubbed toe, paper cut, feeling of cold, annoyance of anything, detest for doing work, or insult we are given is a chance to offer it up, like St. Nunzio Sulprizio, for the conversion of souls in order to bring about salvation for all with Jesus Christ.
Dear Jesus please help us never lose an opportunity to help another eternal soul.
St. Paul VI, St. Oscar Romero, St. Vincent Romano, St. Francesco Spinelli, St. Maria Katharina Kasper, St. Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa, and St. Nunzio Sulprizio PRAY for US. 
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