Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness (2026)
One
You be that Saint
As you know, I recently led a pilgrimage in Poland where we immersed ourselves in the lives of saints such as St. Jadwiga, Blessed Jerzy Popiełuszko, St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Faustyna, and St. John Paul II. But those famous saints were only the beginning. What struck me most was that saints seemed to be everywhere. In church after church I saw their images, their relics, and often their tombs beneath the floor. Everywhere I turned I saw "Servant of God," "Blessed," and "Saint" so-and-so. I found myself wondering: where are the saints in America?
Then I remembered a passage from the Diary of St. Faustina. While reading about the canonization of St. Andrew Bobola, she became deeply saddened that her own religious order had no saint. Jesus responded, "You are that saint." In other words, "Stop wishing your community had a saint. You be that saint."
Every saint begins with the desire for holiness. This is what the fourth Beatitude means, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness." Blessed are those who desire to become the saint God created them to be. As St. Catherine of Siena said, "If you are what you should be, you will set the whole world ablaze."
Two
Not Difficult
A few days ago, in our meditation on the Living Rosary, I told you about Jan Tyranowski. One day he heard a priest preach, "It is not difficult to become a saint." He believed it. And today he is Venerable Jan Tyranowski, one step away from beatification.
Most of us think becoming a saint is impossible. So how could the priest say it is not difficult? Because holiness is God's work. You cannot become a saint by willpower alone. At Baptism, God came to dwell within your soul. Holiness is allowing Him to transform you and live His life through you. A saint is simply a person who lets God live and love through them.
The real question is not, "Can I become a saint?" The real question is, "How do I let God do His work in me?"
Three
Living by the Power of the Spirit
So, how do we let God live through us and make us a saint? St. Faustyna gives the answer, “Faithfulness to the inspirations of the Holy Spirit – that is the shortest route.” (Diary 291)
We become Holy by living by the power and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. And since as St. Maximilian Kobe says so simply, “We experience the Holy Spirit through Mary” then all we need to do is form a close friendship with Mary, speak to her all the time like a little child with its mother. And then just do you best to do what you think she is inspiring you to do.
But how will I know what Mary wants and what are merely my own ideas? Be like a simple little child, because that is what we are in relation to our Mother. Simply ask her what to do. Then pay attention to what stirs within your heart. If nothing comes, continue faithfully with your ordinary duties. If a good thought comes that is consistent with your vocation and not contrary to God's law, act on it.
As we begin to follow her inspirations, we are like a baby learning to walk. Our Mother encourages us to take steps and helps us when we fall. Over time, by prayer, experience, and fidelity, we learn to recognize her voice more clearly. If you want to understand how the Holy Spirit works through Mary just listen to or read the meditations form May 15th to May 23rd, 2026.
Four
Daily Meditation and a Resolution
If we want to be a saint we should live by the power of the Holy Spirit through Mary and practice Daily meditation with a resolution. Read or listen to something from the Word of God. The Word of God is comprised of Scripture, Tradition (the writings of the Saints) and the Magisterium (the teaching of the Church). As soon as something strikes you, stop reading and pay attention. That is what God is saying to you today.
Reflect or think about what struck you. Try to understand it. Apply it to our lives by asking, “Am I living this or not? Practically, what am I going to do about it?” Then, choose one concrete good action that flows directly from what God showed you. Practice it deliberately that day.
What do you think would happen to a person who practiced daily meditation with a resolution every day for six months? They would become a better person. And what about every day for five years? Oh, well a totally transformed person. And how about for 25 years? They would become a saint.
Five
Helping Our Loved Ones to Heaven
We all have loved ones who are not interested in Jesus or trapped in some destructive life-style or both. We want to help them more than any thing else. It is our deepest concern. And since we cannot control other people. We cant make them love God and fix their lives, then if you want to help get your loved ones to heaven, the best thing you can do for them is to work on your own holiness.
We should remove whatever there is in us that is an obstacle to other people becoming holy and we should work on every possible virtue because it seems to me that those who were of the greatest help to the conversion of others are those people through whom God was working most powerfully.
That means, we just need to stay laser focused on allowing the Holy Spirit to inspire us through Mary. Deepen our friendship with Jesus through daily meditation with a concrete resolution. Build bridges of friendship with our people.
If you want to help your loved ones get to heaven, become the kind of person through whom God can work freely and powerfully. Then as Fr. Piotr Skarga said, ”Not by force or with steel, but by virtuous example, friendship and good conversation and gentle persuasion.”