Alleviating the road to sainthood.
I was told in a semi-formal meeting among friends and strangers to talk about how being in a small group has benefitted my spiritual life. I agreed to share my experience without going into a lot of personal detail and I felt that the week before this event helped me to understand what I wanted to say and how I could say it. The event took place and I think I said what I wanted to say but I can’t recall what I said or if anything I said made sense so I am taking this opportunity to write this down so I can look back and understand why I think being in a small group especially for a young Catholic/Christian man matters and how it help in becoming a saint.
Ephesians 6:18(NRSVCE)
“ Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints.”
In NIV the word saints is translated as ‘the Lord’s people’. So my view of being a saint in this article is within the context of being a believer in the Catholic/Christian faith. Now that we have gotten that definition taken care of let’s talk about how being in a small group can help in becoming a saint.
As a young man I find the need to belong truly compelling. I think it helps me fulfill the safety of being in a group or a tribe, to have people in your corner, who you can talk to between bouts in your life. I have been blessed with people who have been around me who accept me and love me and I find that it has helped me tackle the many curve balls that life has to offer. When you believe in the Catholic/Christian faith you start to actively choose things that are not of this world and some of these choices are hard to follow through because we are all part of this world. A small group that is presented to you through your church or a young adults ministry would be a perfect opportunity to find a clan of likeminded believers. I have been fortunate to have a couple of great guys that I cherish spending time with and shooting the ‘s’ about everything under the sun.
I would like to borrow something one of my pastors said this Sunday. He mentioned that when we work towards the fruits of the Spirit you can’t will them to be present in your life. It is not through the act of willpower that we obtain the fruits for is rightly not called ‘Fruits of willpower’ but through active pursuit of the Spirit which bestows upon us this sort after fruits. This made me realize that during the parable of the sower the seeds that fell on good ground were the once that produced fruits, and when you are connected to the vine you are once again bound to produce fruits (John 15).
So what does it take to be on good ground and what does it take to abide in the vine. The answer to this I think can be found in small groups.
I find that when you are surrounded by people with similar goals the journey towards them are often enjoyable. When you want to work out you end up enjoying the process if you are surrounded by likeminded individuals who eventually become your friends and you end up sharing life with them. Small groups especially in the spiritual context provides rich soil and provisions to abide. Groups offer a safe space for expression and for struggles which the world on the other hand could only offer a giant shrug. This sense of freedom that one receives aids in the process of expending intense effort towards noble goals that will help one like myself to strive towards sainthood.
This combination of a place to belong and a space to cultivate the highly sought after spiritual skills is a perfect combination to ease the road towards sainthood and to discover friendship. The road does not become easy but it does become brighter with fellow souls that lighten the load and the path while you traverse through it as friends and as brothers. I would like to end on a verse about friendship that C.S. Lewis wore in his book ‘The Four Loves’ that is perfect especially in spurring each other towards virtue, and I think is an ideal promise bestowed upon everyone in a small group who is willing to give in a selfless way.
In each of my friends there is something that only some other friend can fully bring out.
C. S. Lewis