Heros

"Heros are those who kindle a great light in the world, who set up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for people to see by. Saints are those who walk through the dark paths of the world, themselves a light." - Felix Adler

Who are some of our modern day heros?  Are you a hero, am I a hero?  How can we become heros, do we even want to be come heros?

Who are some of our modern day saints?  Are you a saint, am I a saint?  How can we become saints, do we even want to be come saints?

These are interesting questions to ask ourselves.  Life is short and time passes quickly, how we spend that time and live our lives will determine the answers to the above questions.  What can you do today to become a hero, what can you do today to become a saint?  Id say that there is a dramatic difference between the two.  Anyone can be a hero on any given day.  Being a hero is a one time event which remains in memory.  When you wake up tomorrow you may not be a hero, but then you rescue someone trapped in a house (or a web of sin), alakazam .....you are now a hero.  I think it was Robert Frost who said "Save a life and you save the world."  Its so true, one persons life is their whole world and you can save it for someone.

Conversely, being a saint is not a one time event, its a daily grind.  Its a daily grind lived in love.  Love is lasting, not fleeting, it is the saints m.o.  When I look to the lives of the saints and the life of Christ, I see similar trials to that which we all face.  We all get through the trials and one day we will have the ultimate trial of death to face.  We may face our trials heroically and even happily but what is different about Christ's and the saints' lives is that there challenges were handled in complete and lasting love.  Anyone can find ways to cope with challenging situations but the saints find a way to love in their trials.

Its easy to feel good and do good things and do good things and feel good.  Its hard to do good things that dont bring that same good feeling.  I dont think being nailed to a cross would feel good, but having perfect love while going through it, thats Godly.  Loving is not always accompanied by a good feeling, but what better way to prove your love then to do something that doesnt bring you peace, but brings peace to someone else. Love is not focused on self but on others, sin is focused on self.

Tomorrow we can put ourselves aside and be heros.  But only when "tomorrow" becomes "everyday" will we become saints.