It is “sacraments season” right now. Many of you young children of our diocese will be receiving your First Communion this weekend, and some of you young adults will be celebrating Confirmation. For anyone who has not yet chosen a patron saint, or if you are looking for inspiration from children who are saints, there are two new ones to choose from as of May 13—and they are kids!
It is actually a really big deal: children of such young ages have never been named saints before (unless they were martyrs) and so this weekend’s canonization will be a historical ‘first,’ as Francisco Marto died at age 10 and his sister Jacinta at 9. They both fell ill in Portugal during the worldwide influenza outbreak during the early twentieth century.
While visiting Portugal this weekend, Pope Francis will be marking the one hundredth anniversary of the Fatima apparitions on May 13 2017. He will use the opportunity to declare these two children the newest saints of the Catholic Church.
If you are familiar with the story of what happened in Fatima all those years ago, you might remember that after the Virgin Mary appeared to these two shepherd children along with their cousin Lucia, the three of them returned to their village but many people did not believe them. The authorities actually locked them in the local jail and threatened to burn them with hot oil if they did not admit that they had made up the whole thing. Even still, the children did not waver.
That is one of many reasons that it was decided that these two children could be declared saints: by refusing to lie they had shown “heroic virtue.” Up until the last century, it was believed that it would be impossible for children so young ever to be declared saints because they thought children were not able to practice the kind of “heroic virtue” necessary to be declared a saint. But because of their strong faith, and because of the faith that Francisco and Jacinta have inspired in others, and thirdly because of their example to other young people, a rule was changed and now it is at last possible for children to be canonized.
How about that, eh? That’s why I said this is big news. Not only will this open up the way for other holy children to be named saints but now the whole world has also learned that it is possible for kids to change centuries-old traditions of the Catholic Church!
It makes me wonder… If it is possible for children to do all of that, what else can kids do?
You children who are reading this can answer that question better than anyone else. I suspect that you can do a lot, and that sometimes we grown-ups have simply not given you the chance. We see all sorts of families and children in difficult situations at Karidat and we try to help. But I wonder sometimes: what special ways could kids pitch in to serve others? What ideas do you have about helping those around you and serving the poor and others in need?
Your families and communities will be inspired by your example, just as the faithful in the Church have been inspired by the example of Saints Francisco and Jacinta.
To those of you who are celebrating this weekend, we wish you a Happy First Communion and Happy Confirmation! God bless you all, and we are praying for you.
