Yakob Mar Iraneus

Growing to Sainthood

In Houston, TX  on October 30, 2004

We remember and celebrate a saint today—Mar Gregorios of Parumala. He is remembered not only here in this parish but also all over the world.

What/who is a saint?

1. A mirror

In one of our prayer books I happened to notice an interesting expression “a mirror to the generations”. A saint is a mirror. We see ourselves in a mirror. When we come to the presence of a saint, we see our inner self as it is. When Narayana Guru Swami consecrated an altar, contrary to the expectation of others, he placed there a mirror instead of an idol of a god or goddess. Today we are in the presence of a saint, and we have the opportunity to see ourselves.  

2. A lamp

Jesus said about John the Baptist: He was a lamp that was burning and shining, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. This is an excellent description of a saint. A saint receives light from the Sun of righteousness, and reflects it for us, and we rejoice in the presence of a saint. In the dark world, a saint gives light. Just like we lit a candle from a lit candle, Parumala thirumeni lit his candle from the great candle—Jesus Christ.

3. Fire

The lamp not only shines but also burns. Not only does it give light but also does it burn all the impurities. The best illustration is the vision of Isaiah. He saw God high up surrounded by angels. They shout: Holy, Holy, Holy.  Seeing this might sight, Isaiah becomes aware of his unclean lips. Then comes one of the seraphim to him with a burning coal from the altar, and touches his moth with it, and sys: Your sin is forgiven.

We often think that saints are people who live away from the rest of the people without any contact with the world. That is not how we see Parumala thirumeni. He lived among people as a mirror, as a lamp, and as fire. The parable of tares among the wheat in Matthew 13 is a realistic picture of our world. Ours is a world of good and evil. Can we live as a lamp in such a world?

Parumala Thirumeni was a versatile genius. He was a writer, orator, teacher, and an administrator. He made a trip to Holy Land and wrote a travelogue. In spite of being all these, a saint is an ordinary human being just like one of us. Parumala thirumeni was a Malayalee, and he lived only for 54 years. He suffered intense pain during his last days. This is a challenge to us. If someone born in Kerala can become a saint, each one of us can.

How to become a saint?

Sainthood is something we need to grow to. God shows a ladder to Jacob in a dream. At the top of the ladder stands God, beckoning him. Jacob has to climb the ladder to reach God. What a beautiful picture! We all need to climb the steps one by one to reach sainthood.

St. Peter, in his second epistle, names the steps one has to climb (1:5—7):  Faith, moral excellence, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, Godliness, brotherly kindness, Love.

St. Paul presents a shorter formula (Rom. 12: 1—2):

· Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God.   

· Do not be conformed to this world

· Let God transform you inwardly

Parumala thirumeni offered himself to God, and God transformed him. And the result?  He could know the will of God.

Today God is challenging each one of us to sacrifice ourselves to God, so that God may transform us to become saints.   

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