“GOD HAS NOT CALLED me to be successful; He has called me to be faithful.”
This wisdom from St. Teresa of Calcutta challenges how we often measure success and, more importantly, failure. In the eyes of the world, success is measured by output: results, popularity and worth. While there is nothing wrong with efficiency, we are invited to assess honestly: are our standards for ourselves according to God’s standards? According to Mother Teresa and countless other saints, God measures success by fidelity, that is, perseverance in one’s discerned duties and mission, regardless of outcomes. The lives of the saints are testaments of God’s grace, and their unique lives serve as a program for us to apply to our own circumstances. Saints are people who failed. St. Charles de Foucauld’s early life in France was troubled. Orphaned and raised by his grandfather, he grew up agnostic. He was expelled from school and graduated last in his class. In 1876, he joined the military but was dismissed for his undisciplined lifestyle. He later rejoined and was sent to Algeria, where he was impressed by the Muslims’ faith and prayer. Back in Paris, Charles began attending church, still unsure of God’s existence, praying, “Oh God, if you exist, allow me to know you!” Influenced by a cousin’s deep faith, he sought religious instruction and received the Sacraments.
In 1889, a pilgrimage to the Holy Land inspired Charles to live as Jesus did in Nazareth. He joined the Trappists for seven years, then sought an even simpler life. He asked to be released from his vows so he could start his own community. Charles lived in a hut in Nazareth, serving as a handyman for the Poor Clare Sisters, and wrote a rule for his “Little Brothers” that focused on Eucharistic spirituality. In 1901, he returned to France, where he was ordained a priest, and then moved to Algeria to live among the people. Though respected, no one converted.
Charles built a house, hoping others would join him, but none stayed. In 1905, he moved to serve the Tuareg people, learned their language and translated the Gospels. After ten years, no one converted despite his faithful ministry.
In 1916, during World War I unrest, Charles was killed by a local rebel. Though he did not see his dream realized, 20 years later, his vision grew into several congregations that now flourish worldwide. His faithfulness continues to bear fruit.
There are many more saints whose lives reflect the same truth that God is silently at work in unapparent ways. All of them are following after the most significant “failure” in history, their Master, Jesus Christ. In the world’s estimation, His earthly life was questionable at best; He spent 30 years in anonymity, three years in active ministry within a limited region that generated mixed results and unremarkable followers, until it ended tragically with His humiliating death on the cross and abandonment of His followers. According to the world’s standards, Jesus’ life is hardly worth imitating or aspiring to, yet the saints’ lives reveal that something more is at work than meets the eye.
In light of this, we are reminded that the path of discipleship is marked not by dramatic accomplishments but by fidelity to small matters, the quiet, hidden choices through which love is manifested. The saints teach us that to persevere in God’s will is never a matter of sheer human strength; perseverance requires grace and grace is always available when we ask our Heavenly Father for what we need. We are called to receive the Holy Spirit’s gift of courage, which gives us strength to be faithful, day after day, especially in the mundane and unremarkable circumstances of our lives. Jesus shows us that obedience is always fruitful and a life united to Him is not insignificant. In Him, nothing is wasted, and everything offered with love is received into the Eternal Father’s Heart.