CALLED TO BE SAINTS IN A CONFUSING WORLD

CALLED TO BE SAINTS IN A CONFUSING WORLD Fr Luke A Veronis Called to Become a Saint! On the Sunday after we celebrated the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the Church lifts our eyes to behold the fruits of the Spirit — the Saints — those men, women, and even children who dedicated their lives entirely to God, those who allowed Christ to live in them. They are the evidence that holiness is not only possible for a few but expected from us all. Whenever we look at the icons on our walls of our churches, we should hear the Church’s invitation to each of us: “Come! You too are called and expected to become a saint.” Today in our church, we also recognize and bless our high school and college graduates.  Graduation is not an end — it is a launching point. And just as the Holy Spirit propelled the apostles into the world at Pentecost, filled with the Holy Spirit, today God is sending our graduates out — from high school to colleges and jobs, and from college to the unknown paths of adulthood. Yet, they are not being sent alone. The Holy Spirit is ready to guide and inspire, to fill and empower them on a path hopefully leading them toward sainthood. This is their mission in life. This is our mission - to live holy lives that shine brightly the light of Christ in a sometimes dark and confusing world. The saints we honor today didn’t live easy or comfortable lives. Maybe because they didn’t pursue the world’s understanding of success, fame and security. Instead, they sought first the Kingdom of Heaven and lived with courage, humility, and radical love for God and others. I think of a few examples of the saints we follow: St. Catherine of Alexandria was a brilliant student who used her intelligence and wisdom to defend the faith. She stood against the emperor and all the wise of the world, risking everything — not for a degree, not out of pride, but out of her passionate love for God and her desire to proclaim His truth. St. Maria of Paris, a modern saint, was a poet and intellectual and theologian. She lived during tumultuous times and chose a radical path of serving the poor and marginalized, including helping the Jews during WWII. She eventually died in a concentration camp but her life could be summarized in her words “The way to God lies through our love of people.” St. Paisios the Athonite was an uneducated man in worldly terms but a wise elder in Godly affairs. He reminds us that “The goal of life is to become holy. Our goal isn’t to become rich and successful by worldly standards, but to become like Christ.” These are our role models to follow. Ordinary people who responded to God and his people with extraordinary love. We don’t remember these saints as figures of the past. They are not dead but live among us in Christ and invite us to imitate them as they imitated Christ. Now, some may say that times are so different today. We live in such a confused and dark world. Yes, technology is changing the world at exponential speed with new forms of temptations but human heart as not changed. The alluring enticements and deceptions of the heart are the same in every generation. My friend, Fr. Nicholas Halkias, did an experiment that tested modern technology and it’s interesting how it came back with answers that are pretty tradition. He asked AI’s ChatGPT “If you were the devil how would you influence the minds of the next generation without them knowing it?” The most successful form of deception from Satan, of course, isn’t simply to get people to hate God outright. Instead, he distracts us, confuses us, and slowly erodes our moral compass so we simply forget God and drift away from Him. Here are the forms of confusion suggested by ChatGPT. 1. PROMOTE COMFORT and ENTERTAINENT OVER CHARACTER Make life all about ease, convenience and entertainment. Condition people to avoid discomfort, struggle, suffering, or sacrifice. In this way, we lose the resilience it takes to grow in holiness. 2. TWIST LANGUAGE TO BLUR TRUTH Redefine words like “truth,” “love,” and “freedom” so they become empty or self-serving. Convince people that feelings are facts and that truth is relative, not absolute. 3. ENCOURAGE SHALLOW CONNECTIONS Let social media replace real life friendships. Simulate virtual, online community, but keep people away from one another so that they will become more isolated, anxious, and starved for authentic love. 4. DEVALUE MEANING AND PURPOSE Make life seem random. Push the lie that there’s no ultimate truth or purpose, just pleasure. Replace the search for holiness with the search for higher levels of dopamine, excitement and thrill. 5. MAKE VIRTUE LOOK OUTDATED Mock the virtues of humility, forgiveness, chastity, and self-control. Make pride, vanity, arrogance, impurity, our egocentric desires and “my truth” seem brave and modern. 6. EXPLOIT MEDIA AND ENTERTAINMENT Normalize violence, sexual confusion, and rebellion against God — all disguised as humor, freedom, and art. 7. INFILTRATE EDUCATION SUBTLY Encourage ideology over inquiry. Teach students what to think, not how to think. Punish curiosity, reward conformity. 8. ENCOURAGE DISTRACTION OVER REFLECTION Keep minds busy, full and overwhelmed — always entertained, scrolling, consuming. Leave no time for silence, prayer, or self-examination. 9. USE FEAR TO CONTROL Amplify divisions and fear. Look at others who disagree with you and believe differently than you with hatred. Make people terrified to speak the truth. Silence becomes safety, and apathy becomes normal. 10. TARGET IDENTITY Place labels on yourself and others and identify and limit people with these labels. Help them lose or forget their identity as children of God, people created in His image and likeness. This deception is not fantasy — this is the spiritual reality we face today. The devil doesn’t need to wage open war. All he needs to do is distract, confuse, and pacify. Yet, he has been doing this from the beginning of time. In our day and age, technology has changed the tools but it hasn’t changed the strategy. The good news, of course, is this: God is with us and has given us everything we need to overcome these distractions and fulfill our call as saints in this fallen world. The Holy Spirit, poured out at Pentecost, dwells in us and will guide and inspire us The Church, with its sacraments and communion of saints both here on earth and those praying for us in heaven, surrounds us with grace and support in a community of love. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. He does not change. The world may change but He remains the Alpha and the Omega, the One is Is, who Was, and who Is to Come. The Lord Almighty. He is still the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So, the word of encouragement to our graduates, as well as to all of us, is this: “Don’t Be Afraid. Keep Your Eyes on Christ. Follow His Path and Fulfill Your Divine Potential!” The world our graduates enter will offer confusing voices. They will try to shape you into its mold. But remember, we were created for something greater – to be beloved children of God and to love all the children of the world. We are in the world but not of the world. Don’t fit in with society but stand with God as His Ambassador and Beloved Child. Follow the saints, not the influencers. Seek Christ, not the applause of the world. Root your identity as a beloved child of God, not in the labels that the world places on you. And remember, the world needs saints — not just professionals, not just achievers, but holy men and women of love and faith, truth and courage. Let me end with this prayer. “O Lord Jesus Christ, You opened the eyes of the man born blind. Open the eyes of our graduates and all of us. Help us not to be deceived by the comforts and lies of this world. Give us courage to live in Your Light, embrace Your holiness, and become the saints of our generation. Through the prayers of all Your saints, strengthen us to stand firm, speak truth, and love boldly.”