The Call to Be Who You Are
"Be who you are, and be that well." ~ Francis de Sales And truly, how can we be anything but who we are? As a child, I was once asked by a nun who was also my teacher, what I wished to be when I grew up. And I simply responded, "A saint." Of course, I had no idea what that meant, but somehow I felt enamored by the lives of the many martyrs I read about. Today, I ask myself, "What was I thinking?" But what I really think I meant, was that I was seeking a life of wholeness. I wanted to be the best person that I could possibly be, and in my childish understanding, I thought those people were saints - people who truly became the best human beings possible. Implicit in my understanding was a sort of perfection, that of course, I know now - does not exist. "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect." ~ Matthew 5:48 Even so, we strive for something that at times seems elusive. Can it really be attained? James Martin, SJ, in h...