Having watched "The Philadelphia Story" (1940) this morning with close attention (it being shown on TCM with a line of films in honor of James Stewart's birthday) I came up with a principle of holiness which captures the heart of that story:
YOU MUST BE A MAN IN ORDER TO BE A SAINT!
This is an instance of the general philosophical principle: grace builds on nature.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI made a similar point in a Wednesday Audience on the saints saying that saints do not come ready made from heaven. Saints are made on the earth and in homes and in neighborhoods and at school and at work, etc. They are sinners who recognize and confess their failures and ever strive for perfection, with the help of God. Here is the relevant quote.
"...Paul and Barnabas, disagreed at the beginning of the second missionary journey because Barnabas was determined to take with them as a companion John called Mark, whereas Paul was against it, since the young man had deserted them during their previous journey (cf. Acts 13:13;15:36-40).
"Hence there are also disputes, disagreements and controversies among saints. And I find this very comforting, because we see that the saints have not 'fallen from Heaven'. They are people like us, who also have complicated problems.
"Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness." (Wednesday Audience 31 January 2007)
That is exactly what happened at the end of the movie.
May God reward his servant Mr. James Stewart for his wonderful and exemplary artistic nobility as a first class Hollywood star! May he have a great reward in heaven!
This same point about holiness is in Spe Salvi, 46
"For the great majority of people--we may suppose--there remains in the depths of their being an ultimate interior openness to truth, to love, to God. In the concrete choices of life, however, it is covered over by ever new compromises with evil--much filth covers purity, but the thirst for purity remains and it still constantly re-emerges from all that is base and remains present in the soul..."
He concludes by speaking of a fundamental human need, therefore, for...Purgatory! Everyone needs purification in order to become a saint.
YOU MUST BE A MAN IN ORDER TO BE A SAINT!
This is an instance of the general philosophical principle: grace builds on nature.
His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI made a similar point in a Wednesday Audience on the saints saying that saints do not come ready made from heaven. Saints are made on the earth and in homes and in neighborhoods and at school and at work, etc. They are sinners who recognize and confess their failures and ever strive for perfection, with the help of God. Here is the relevant quote.
"...Paul and Barnabas, disagreed at the beginning of the second missionary journey because Barnabas was determined to take with them as a companion John called Mark, whereas Paul was against it, since the young man had deserted them during their previous journey (cf. Acts 13:13;15:36-40).
"Hence there are also disputes, disagreements and controversies among saints. And I find this very comforting, because we see that the saints have not 'fallen from Heaven'. They are people like us, who also have complicated problems.
"Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness." (Wednesday Audience 31 January 2007)
That is exactly what happened at the end of the movie.
May God reward his servant Mr. James Stewart for his wonderful and exemplary artistic nobility as a first class Hollywood star! May he have a great reward in heaven!
This same point about holiness is in Spe Salvi, 46
"For the great majority of people--we may suppose--there remains in the depths of their being an ultimate interior openness to truth, to love, to God. In the concrete choices of life, however, it is covered over by ever new compromises with evil--much filth covers purity, but the thirst for purity remains and it still constantly re-emerges from all that is base and remains present in the soul..."
He concludes by speaking of a fundamental human need, therefore, for...Purgatory! Everyone needs purification in order to become a saint.
Saint Josemaria Escriva made the same point saying: "Holiness consists in beginning again!"
