Kids Can be Saints Too
By Caitlin Bootsma
Consultant to the VIRTUS® Programs
When I was a kid, I had a favorite Bible passage. It was rooted in, I suppose, with my desire to do grown-up things,
to have a purpose now, rather than later. In these verses, when Jeremiah hesitates to follow God's will, God tells the future prophet, Do not say, “I am too young.” To whomever I send you, you shall go; whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them, for I am with you to deliver you (Jeremiah 1:7-8). This story serves as a reminder that young people are called to radical holiness too; and they aren't just called to serve God as adults, they are called now.
Of course, the way children serve the Lord may be different than adults. They cannot, for example, leave to be a missionary in Africa when they are eight. Nor can they join a religious order at the age of eleven. Yet, at the same, the Lord calls each of us to holiness where we are at—and this call includes children. It is important not to underestimate children's ability to respond to God's invitation to a relationship with Him.
Children have many examples of holiness to look to, starting with Christ Himself. At the age of 12, He went to the temple to talk to the priests and elders. Even at that age, He knew and professed that "where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Matthew 6:21).
Among the saints too, are children who reached a level of holiness and spiritual maturity that many adults are still seeking. St. Maria Goretti, for example, was a young girl who was attacked and then killed for her refusal to willingly sleep with her persecutor. She died praying for the man who assaulted her. Years later, her murderer repented due to Maria's intercession and he attended her canonization.
St. Therese of Lisieux, we know, had a deep love of Christ at an early age. She was granted special permission to join the Carmelites by the Holy Father himself at the age of 15. By the time she died in her early twenties, she had not only lived a life of extreme sanctity, she had also had written A Story of a Soul, which led to her being named a Doctor of the Church.
St. Joan of Arc followed the command of God as a teenager and ended up leading an army! By the time she was 19, she was burned at the stake, martyred as a result of her courageous willingness to follow the Lord's will.
These saints lived in all different eras and were from various backgrounds. The thing that they had in common was a love for God and a belief that every day was an opportunity to grow closer to Him. These children are witnesses to all of us, especially those of us who have children in our care.
St. Paul once wrote a letter to a young fellow Christian, Timothy, saying, "Let no one have contempt for your youth, but set an example for those who believe, in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity" (1 Timothy 4:12). We should listen to St. Paul's admonishment and encourage each person, regardless of their age, to pursue holiness and to discern God's will in their life.
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