蜜芽传媒

For today鈥檚 guest editor Jean Barker, as she then was, for my parents and for many listening, late teenage years were suddenly turned upside down as the call came to defend our country. Ordinary people were called to do extraordinary things. From Baroness Trumpington鈥檚 account of life at Bletchley Park, it seems that very hard and concentrated work was accompanied by a lot of fun as well. Her wicked sense of humour was never far from the surface.

Ordinary people doing extraordinary things. In the Church Calendar every day after Christmas is devoted to some of the big hitters amongst the Saintly band. Stephen the very first Christian Martyr. John who wrote the Gospel. The Holy Innocents, little children who, as St Matthew tells us, were murdered by the mad and wicked king Herod. And today a very English Saint, an Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket.

Often we think that saints are too good to be true. They seem out of our grasp. People who have little connection with our daily lives. But alongside the big names there are countless ordinary people who have risen to extraordinary heights. In more recent times, Fr Maximilian Kolbe who brought light into the darkness of Auschwitz and gave his life for a fellow prisoner. Oscar Romero, martyr for the downtrodden and in the last year or so Blessed Fr Jacques Hamel was doing what he had done hundreds of times, saying a weekday Mass. It was to be his last as he was murdered by violent and misguided men.

In day to day ministry the parish priest meets ordinary people who are doing the most amazing things. Yet if one points it out the answer is, 鈥業鈥檓 not doing anything special鈥�. A friend who was just about to retire found herself in Bosnia running a charity which serves all, regardless of creed. At 75 years of age her light is undimmed. Children are fed, families are given hope, communities are reconciled.

Frank looks after his sister who has MS. He wouldn鈥檛 consider himself a saint鈥�but the round of cooking, and caring are going on day by day by day..
Margaret struggling with arthritis keeps going with determination and focus and never forgets to say thank you for the slightest thing done to help her.
As Pope Benedict XVI said鈥� Saints have not fallen from heaven. They are people like us who have complicated problems. Holiness does not consist in never having erred or strayed鈥�

Look around you today and see if you can find a saint or two. Look again, in the places you鈥檇 least expect to find them.. There might even be one here !

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