The Saints Weren’t Superheroes—They Were Ordinary People Who Said Yes

When we think of the saints, it’s easy to imagine them as larger-than-life figures. St. Joan of Arc hearing heavenly voices. St. Francis talking to animals. St. Padre Pio bearing the wounds of Christ. Saints seem like the spiritual superheroes of the Church—holy, wise, courageous, and completely beyond what most of us could ever be.

And let's be real, some of the things they're known for seem superhuman. But here’s the truth: They weren’t born saints. They became saints—by saying yes.

This Week's Reading: God Calls the Ordinary

In this Sunday’s reading from Romans 10, Paul reminds us that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved—but first, someone must be sent to preach, to witness, to speak.

“How can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach?”  - Romans 10:14

It’s a chain reaction of grace. God works through people, and not just famous people, or qualified people. He works through people who said "yes". In this week's Gospel, Matthew 14, Jesus calls ordinary fishermen to follow Him. They didn't have seminary degrees or polished resumes. They had a boat, some nets, and open hearts.

Saints Start Small

The saints didn’t have perfect lives or perfect starts.

• St. Augustine was a rebellious know-it-all with a wandering heart.

• St. Teresa of Ávila struggled with distractions in prayer and self-doubt.

• St. André Bessette was rejected from seminary because he was too sickly and uneducated.

• Even St. Peter—our first Pope—was impulsive, anxious, and at times fearful.

But they each did something important: They responded when God called. They all said yes in small ways, over and over again. Each of them let God shape their lives from the inside out.

Saints Still Walk Among Us

Sainthood didn’t stop with medieval martyrs or ancient apostles. It’s not frozen in stained glass or buried in church history books. God is still raising up saints right now. There are ordinary people doing extraordinary things through faith. Some lived just decades ago, and some walked through airports we walk through. Some liked pizza and wore sneakers and got stuck in traffic. And every one of them said yes to God in the middle of their daily life.

Here are just a few:

• St. Teresa of Calcutta (1910–1997) – She saw Jesus in the suffering and loved them radically—without fame, praise, or comfort.

• Pope St. John Paul II (1920–2005) – A global leader and shepherd of souls who forgave his would-be assassin and taught us how to carry the cross of suffering with grace.

• Blessed Carlo Acutis (1991–2006) – A teenage computer whiz who loved video games, built a website cataloging Eucharistic miracles, and died of leukemia at 15. Holiness in a hoodie.

• Venerable Chiara Corbella Petrillo (1984–2012) – A young Italian mother who postponed her own cancer treatment to protect her unborn child. She radiated peace, trust, and deep faith—even as she died.

• Servant of God Dorothy Day (1897–1980) – A journalist and social activist who had a messy past, a deep conversion, and a burning love for justice and the poor. She helped launch the Catholic Worker Movement.

• Servant of God Fr. Emil Kapaun (1916–1951) – A U.S. Army chaplain who died in a Korean POW camp after ministering to the sick and wounded with no regard for himself.

• Servant of God Sr. Thea Bowman (1937–1990) – A joyful African American religious sister who brought Black Catholic spirituality into the spotlight through teaching, preaching, and singing her faith.

What Did They All Have in Common?

They prayed, loved, showed up, sacrificed, trusted, and they kept going.

None of them were perfect, but they were willing. And the beautiful, challenging truth is: we can do the same. We can choose love over pride. We can serve without applause. We can cling to Christ when the world feels dark. We can forgive. We can surrender. We can say yes, every time, again and again. God doesn't promise our lives will be easy, but he does promise that he will be there with us every step of the way. And if we let Him, he can make our walk just as holy as each and every one of the saints.

Why not you? Why not now?

Holiness isn’t for the elite, or for the few. It’s for anyone who wants to follow Jesus closely right in the middle of a real, messy, ordinary life. Sainthood isn’t about being perfect. It’s about being willing.

It’s saying:

• Yes to showing up for prayer, even when it’s dry.

• Yes to loving someone who’s hard to love.

• Yes to forgiving when it’s easier to hold a grudge.

• Yes to trusting God’s plan, even when we can’t see where it leads.

It’s quiet yeses, whispered in the middle of our ordinary lives, that slowly make us holy.

Let’s Talk

I’d love to hear from you. What’s one small “yes” you’ve said to God recently, or one you feel Him nudging you toward this week? Drop a comment below. Whether it’s big or small, your “yes” matters… and it might just inspire someone else, too.

Sources & References:

• Vatican News: www.vaticannews.va

• United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB): www.usccb.org

• Catholic News Agency Saints Database: www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint

• Blessed Carlo Acutis Official Site: www.carloacutis.com

• Ignatius Press: The Life of Chiara Corbella Petrillo

• Catholic Worker Movement: www.catholicworker.org

• Sr. Thea Bowman Biography (USCCB): https://www.usccb.org/news/2020/servant-god-sister-thea-bowman