This was the call that Fr Michel Remery repeated across multiple moments of formation and evangelisation in the Diocese of Bathurst in early May 2023.
At Mass in Dubbo, with World Youth Day Pilgrims, WYD pilgrim host families, and when he was with teachers and Catechists, Fr Michel reminded everyone that the call to allow yourself to strive for holiness, and to acknowledge that as followers of Jesus, we are named as saints, is clearly shown in the writings of St Paul; and that each of us should strive to be with God for eternity.
Fr Michel is the author of many books, most recently How to Grow in Faith, which gives structure to how any of us can use resources developed through his other publications and online resources and apps eg Tweeting with God, Online with the Saints and My Neighbour is God. He challenged us to look at our Catholic faith with fresh eyes, to see the beauty of the Church, the witness of the saints and the important place each of us has in spreading the message of Jesus to the world. This applies even in places where we don’t feel comfortable, which could be engaging with young people in schools, in our communities and even online, a world we are quite often unsure of.
The formation offered by Fr Michel was of the highest standard and offered those present a renewed encounter with Jesus, equipping them to live the mission of the Church, which is our mission, to go out to the world and proclaim the Good News with vigour.
The first time Fr Michel asked a group if they wanted to be saints, few hands were raised. By the end of each talk, when asked again, all hands were raised. Everyone wanted to be a saint.
One definition of formation is to engage the baptised in a deeper experience of God and that is what so many experienced across the days Fr Michel was with us.
Do you want to be a Saint?