The Saint Makers in Your Life

Matthew 6:43-45

You have heard that it was said “love your neighbor and hate your enemy”. But I tell you:
Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven

This morning, already running late for work, I looked at my gas gauge and realized I needed to make a stop to fuel up. Waiting in line, I glanced in my rear view mirror. There was a car behind me who had just pulled in and I thought nothing of it. Then, the car pulled around me and to the pump in front of me- the pump I had been waiting for. This clearly annoyed me and the next set of words coming from my mouth were nowhere near the Hail Mary or the Our Father.

Someone once told me that God puts these annoying, rude, inconsiderate people in everyone’s life for a reason. These people are called saint makers because if you can treat them with understanding and tolerance, they make your path to sainthood clearer.

Easier said then done.

I thought about this driver a little more after this experience. Yes, she was indeed inconsiderate and annoying to me. But maybe she was also having a bad morning. Maybe she was late for work as well. Maybe she had a lot on her mind, such as a serious health issue in her family or trying to figure out how to make ends meet.

When you look at someone, you don't really know what is going on in their lives. It is so easy to love and be tolerant of those you love. It can be almost impossible to do the same to those who rub you the wrong way. But we are called as Catholics to accept and love everyone. After all, the word catholic means universal which means we should be accepting of everyone no matter how they treat us.

So, the next time someone cuts you off in traffic, stresses you out at work, or gets in the 10 items or less line with a full grocery cart, say a prayer for them. These saint makers are a gift from God because not only is it a opportunity for us to grow in compassion for others, it is a chance for us to forge our own path to sainthood. God wants us all in heaven with Him and the saints because of His infinite love for us.

Blessed are the Saint makers for they will light our path to God.