A male model of holiness

by Sue Rakoczy · November 8, 2010

At the Sunday liturgy at the parish which I attend, we celebrated All Saints Day yesterday with the rest of the church. The priest, in an effort to tell us that saints are human and have big conversions after a sinful life, illustrated this by speaking of St Paul of Tarsus, St Augustine of Hippo, St Francis of Assisi and St Ignatius of Loyola. All men. Not a mention of any women saints.

His focus was on a “heroic” male model of holiness. But the congregation in the church was full of women, of families with young children, of retired couples. �Maybe a few men in the church fit his model. �But why not speak of everyone’s call to holiness (parents up at 3 am with a sick child are practicing radical patience!)?

It is hard to find married saints in the church calendar and often they ended their lives in a convent or monastery. But we do have the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux who raised a large family, and their illustrious daughter who teaches us that every act of every day can be done with love.

Why not mention St Mary Magdalene, apostle to the apostles? Or St. Josephine Bakhita, one of our African saints?

The friend with whom I drove to church was absolutely disgusted with the homily. I was angry that holiness was confined to one half of the human race. Another missed opportunity!!