Thanks for your positive response to the little frog on the window. May 6th was the Feast of St. Dominic Savio, who is the ‘Dominic’ in my name. I know, I know, I am a Dominican – but the simplicity and joy of his short life have always inspired me. So, I want to share a little about him.

In the writings of St. John Bosco about the life of St. Dominic Savio, he recounts the event when Dominic experienced an intense desire to become a saint. The youth heard a sermon, and through the priest’s words, the Holy Spirit stirred within his heart and ignited him with an immense love of God. For the next few days, he was noticeably quiet and reserved as he pondered the significance of what it means to be a saint. When asked by St. John Bosco why he was quiet, he responded, “I mean, I am troubled with a yearning, a great need to become a saint. I had not known that it was so easy, but now I understand that you can be cheerful and still be a saint. I absolutely want, I have to become a saint. Tell me how I should go about achieving my goal.” He entrusted himself to the guidance of St. John Bosco and asked him to make of him a beautiful garment for God.  

The life of St. Dominic Savio shows to us that to become a saint—to be holy—is the vocation of every Christian. Through Baptism, we are immersed into the Paschal mystery and configure ourselves to the dying and rising of Christ. It is tempting for us to think we must be perfect to be a saint or even desire to be holy. The lives of the saints can be intimidating to read, and often we find ourselves thinking, “I could never do that.” This is the beauty and simplicity of Dominic Savio’s life. For he became a saint by aspiring to be holy and as a young boy joyfully and cheerfully living each day in God’s love. The joy, which radiated from his countenance, flowed from his life of prayer and receptivity to the Sacrament of the Eucharist and Confession. He also had a tender love for Mary and entrusted himself to her. Most importantly, he knew God loved him, which enabled him to live each moment trusting in Him. May all of us be inspired by his desire to be holy and know with God’s grace and love, each one of us can become saints too. 

Read More Reflections & Articles

You May Also Like