GLIMPSING EVERYDAY SAINTHOOD | KAIROS GLOBAL | APRIL 2022

Author: Noel

Intro: Martyrdom is not only the giving up of one’s life, it is also the giving up of aspects and the giving more of one’s life as one lives. Noel Benno invites us to take a look at examples of everyday martyrdom. 

Glimpses of sainthood are all around us if we look a little closer. That shopkeeper who ensures your daily supply of fresh fruits and veggies, the old lady down the road who wishes you a good morning on your way to work or your neighbour who painstakingly brings up their family, could all be saints in the making. Taking a close look at their lives and appreciating their presence in our lives would remind us how becoming who we are, and becoming the person that God created, is a simple path to happiness, peace of mind and even sanctity.

1. Sasha, Retired Mother, 62

Sasha retired from her long-standing government service career about two years ago. Despite the curveballs which life threw at her – ageing ailments and associated trouble, Sasha is undoubtedly one of the most joyful faces in our community. For someone who was super passionate about her life and career, the transition to a retired life was not easy – and that’s when her grandchildren came into the picture. Today, her source of joy and inspiration are her grandkids, whom she helps raise while their parents are occupied at work. From storytelling sessions to running around with them and feeding food at right intervals, she does it all with utmost zeal and charisma.  

2. Murph, College Student, 21

Being a first generation college goer, Murph had a lot of hurdles to cross in his first year of university. Not too long into the course, he realised that he was not alone in the journey, and even made friends with a handful of learners like himself. A strong advocate of ‘making the best of one’s God-given abilities’, Murph took the lead in creating a student support group for first generation learners on campus. Helping students get more involved in campus events, finding part-time jobs to support studies, utilising resources like the library on campus – the group is doing their bit to ensure that first generation learners do not lag behind in any way. 

3. Asta, Homemaker & Mother of Three, 36

Asta took a break from her career in technology and is now the primary caregiver to her three children, aged eight, five and two. The transition from a full-time engineer to a full-time caregiver wasn’t the easiest of roads for Asta to manoeuvre; the intricacies involved were a lot more than she had imagined. Hers is the conviction that ‘to be a mother is a great treasure’, recognising the invaluable opportunity and responsibility she shares with her husband. From changing diapers for the little one to getting the older ones ready for school every day, her life is an everyday battle that is tackled with exuberant joy. Despite her busy schedule at home, her focused efforts to stay updated on technological developments in her domain give her the deftness to get back on her career trajectory in the years to come. 

4. Robin, School Teacher, 29 

A recent appointee to the school, Robin’s unique trait would be the substantial amount of preparation he does for each lesson. He finds immense joy in making mathematics simple for high schoolers and is impressively good at what he does, often burning midnight oil for classes the next day. Robin truly and sincerely believes that as a teacher, it is his responsibility to ‘kindle in his students a thirst for truth and wisdom’, as St JPII remarked¹. 

5. Kaiya, Grocer, 42

Kaiya has been running her grocery store in a small neighbourhood for over a decade now. Not only is she a familiar face for everyone in the community, she pretty much knows everyone in the locality. She wouldn’t have to think twice if someone were to come asking for directions to a particular house around there. It is this deep integration with the community and her commitment to creating a thriving local economy that lead her to start sourcing local produce too to be sold at her shop. A passionate advocate of the local economy, she now offers her customers the option of buying things on credit for a month – a boon for her buyers. Kaiya finds her peace of mind in knowing that even a small grocery store goes a long way in serving a community. 

6. Jay, Potter, 34

Jay grew up watching his father create clay pots for a living and it was quite natural for him to help his father out from a very young age. He was neither particularly excited about pottery nor did he know anything else to earn a livelihood. Despite wanting to get a job and move into the city, the odds of getting a school education were not in his favour and Jay had to prioritise learning the craft to keep the family going. It wasn’t the easiest of journeys for Jay as he took up the responsibility of his ageing parents and continued the traditional craft as well. Over the course of years, Jay put his heart and soul into the craft and associated trade, ensuring a decent amount of return to pay for his workers and take care of his family of five, including his parents. Today, Jay is committed to making the best of his skill and craft, ensuring that his children get a school education and have more options to choose from than just pottery.

7. Sagar, Farmer, 43

Sagar’s day starts way early in the morning, even as the village still sleeps. He milks the livestock to deliver essential dairy in his neighbourhood, packs his lunch and proceeds with the routine work at his farm nearby. Though small farmland, the local community looks forward to the produce from his place and their source of organic food. A strong believer of organic ways of cultivation, he is very particular about what goes into the soil as he cultivates grains and some vegetables. Deeply influenced by the Benedictine priests at his local church, Sagar is now an advocate of sustainable agriculture and growth and considers this as his unique way of participating in God’s good intentions and active care for our world. 

8. Rayna, School Student,15 

Rayna is your classic school student who is deeply committed to her studies. She dreams of becoming a scientist herself and has been preparing herself for the same ever since the idea struck. She’s not just a good academic for herself, but has been taking an active effort in sharing her know-how of academic subjects with other students as well. She’d proudly hold up the teaching of the ‘parable of the talents’ (Matthew 25:14-30), if someone were to question the point of all the effort over and beyond her studies. Drawing inspiration from the quote of St Catherine of Siena, ‘Love does not stay idle’(Letter T82), Rayna is committed to making the best of her talents for herself and for the good of her fellow beings.

9. Bhumi, IT professional, 34

Being the bundle of joy she is, Bhumi can be easily spotted even in a large group of people. A mid-career IT professional, she champions her firm's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion team ensuring that the campus hires of her division get the right amount of mentoring and support in the early years in their career. The whole process of keeping track of new joinees in the firm, ironing out all their unfamiliarities, and aligning them to work they are excited about is no easy task. You can easily find her offering guidance to a junior during her break/coffee time. If someone were to ask why she puts in all this extra effort, at the drop of a hat she’d go, ‘Just doing my bit to ensure that everyone gets a bright start for their career’. Bhumi is undoubtedly the personification of what we read in the Gospel, ‘The King will reply, “Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.”’ (Matthew 25:40)

10. Rex, Retired Professor, 65

Deep inside his heart, Rex knew that his calling was to excel in the field of education. Throughout his career, spanning over a whopping four decades, his commitment was not just to teach, but to guide his students in their careers and life in general. Students recollect him being one of the most cheerful and holistic professors they’d ever met. When his service with the government university came to a close  upon reaching the retirement age, he took up the responsibility of teaching at a private university, for the love of teaching. Through thick and thin he continues to teach, guide students, making sure they all fly high. With the pandemic kicking in, Rex had to steer a very steep learning curve to keep up with the online learning systems of Zoom and Google Classroom. Though not as agile with these,  for someone who has spent a lifetime with chalks and blackboards, it is still great progress. For us, Rex is an embodiment of commitment, courage and resilience in a changing world. 

‘For me to be a saint means to be myself,’ wrote the Trappist monk, Thomas Merton in his book New Seeds of Contemplation. ‘Therefore the problem of sanctity and salvation is in fact the problem of finding out who I am and discovering my true self’. We could spend a lifetime pondering over these words and putting into effect the insight from it. Our day-to-day life is so full of opportunities to live intensely and be who God desires us to be, and it is often in the simplest of lives that we find God’s marvel and love for each of us. 

Address of Pope John Paul II to the council, staff, and students of the Institute of Catholic Education, Melbourne, Australia, November 28, 1986.

Noel is a technology strategy consultant by profession and lives in Thrissur, India with his wife Minu Santhosh.