Mother Cabrini’s Secret to Sainthood, by Michael J. Lichens

By Michael J. Lichens, Catholic Exchange, March 4, 2024

Michael J. Lichens is the former editor of Catholic Exchange, whose writing has appeared in both Catholic and mainstream sources. With an M.A. from the University of Chicago of Divinity School, Michael spends much of his days editing, writing, and researching great works in Catholic literature and also shares a passion for the overlooked moments in faith. You can track his love of ossuaries and saints at mlichens.com or here on CE.

There’s a sort of paradox when discussing the secret to sanctity. Saints are so timeless and unique that we assume that there must be some hidden motivation that makes them radiate with love and holiness. However, when we learn about the saints’s lives and works, we quickly see that their path to sainthood is anything but hidden.

God wants us all to be saints. He desires us to know Him and live with Him in loving friendship, taking that love to every person in our hurting world. And God is so good that He has already given us what we need to become saints. In examining the life of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, we can especially see that what often separates us from the great saints is simply loving obedience. The saints asked God what He wanted them to do and then set about doing it when they got the answer.  ….