Saints: Our Catholic Influencers?

Sometimes I wonder whether we place excessive emphasis on these holy men and women who have gone before us. These figures from history inhabited vastly different worlds in distant eras and cultures—how can we truly identify with medieval mystics or ancient martyrs? Their experiences seem so removed from our contemporary struggles with technology, social media, and current pressures. Yet the perspective changes when we consider recently canonised individuals like Blessed Carlo Acutis, the millennial Italian teenager who used his programming skills to catalogue Eucharistic miracles online. Suddenly, sainthood feels less remote. Here was someone who navigated the digital realm we know, faced ordinary teenage challenges, and still chose remarkable holiness.

St Theodore And His Dragon

If you're aiming for formal sainthood, the mathematical reality remains stark: our chances of canonical recognition are infinitesimal, far slimmer than winning the lottery. But then again, perhaps that misses the point entirely—true sanctity isn't something one seeks for oneself. The very act of pursuing recognition would contradict the selfless surrender that defines authentic holiness. Unlike social media influencers who curate perfection for followers, saints offer something more meaningful—they demonstrate that transformation emerges from embracing our imperfections and surrendering them to God's grace. They're not selling us an unattainable lifestyle; they're revealing how change happens within our ordinary situations. Whether it's Thérèse's "little way" or Carlo's digital evangelisation, these figures whisper the same truth: sanctity isn't about remarkable situations but about responding with exceptional love to whatever exists before us. In this light, they become not distant celebrities but accessible guides, proving that every existence—including ours—holds potential for spiritual influence.