To Be A Saint Means…

By Dillon Smith
Franciscan for the Summer

An idea that keeps popping up for me lately is Thomas Merton’s “To be a saint means to be myself.” While reading this week’s discussion readings on Wholeness and Authenticity, I was even more so confronted with this idea and forced to think more deeply, especially in terms of my desires and skills, on “who am I?” I am learning that to be a saint is to find myself in God, and even for that seemingly simple concept, the grace of God is needed. How can we always stay true to who we are and not be affected by the world around us without the grace of God? How can we dig deep down to the essence of our souls, of ourselves, without the grace of God? I am hoping to constantly remember to find myself in Christ as I try to become a saint—that is, myself, in this world.