Queen For A Day 

If you’re over a 100  you may remember the T.V. show “Queen For A Day”. It ran from the mid 40’s to mid ‘60’s. Contestants would tell their “stories” and the audience would select the winner … the one who had the roughest situation. The “Queen” would get a crown and robe and sit on a throne, getting various prizes, including a solution to the biggest need she had shared. I have to admit it was pretty corny even for the ‘50’s. Yet people watched the show for some 20 years. I even admit I watched it a couple of times.

Being a pretty creative person myself, I was thinking there should be  a show called “Saint For A Day”. It goes like this. They bring up the contestant, including people like you and me; they report on our day…how did it go…. did I act like a saint? At the end of the presentation, the audience applause and the one getting the most applause is designated “Saint for the Day”. The problem is you might get some “criminal” who would bring their  friends and paid bozos to the show to clap really loud for them. Okay, I agree it’s a lousy idea for a show….forget it.

On a more serious note, I can find the idea of becoming a saint overwhelming; it’s just too much. As I read about the saints, I think I could never lead a life of holiness like they have led. But, I wonder if I could  live a saintly life for a day… for one day? If not a day, how about an hour? How about 10 minutes. Can I love the Lord with all my heart for 10 minutes… for 5 minutes? I actually think I can. By the grace of God, I believe I can love God with my whole heart, soul, mind and strength for 5 minutes. It might be as simple as cleaning the house or taking a friend to the doctor ….. doing my duty with a “happy heart”, or just praying for someone in need…. just for 5 minutes. I think I can do that. And if I can do that for 5 or 10 minutes, then perhaps I can increase it to an hour or even a day….saint for a day.

I think we can get caught in the snare of “projecting” living a long life of saintly virtue. I can’t be holy for the next 20 years or 50 years… it’s too much. Yet, we may not live that long anyway. Maybe I should focus on loving the Lord just for today. Lord help me to love you and my neighbor just for today…. just for the present moment. And if we do it, we will be happy; holiness brings happiness. 

Psalm 112 tells us that “happy is the man who fears the Lord, who takes delight in his commands…. He will be generous and merciful and upright…he will take pity and lend and conduct his affairs with honor…  he has no fear of evil news, with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord… with a steadfast heart he will not fear; he will see the downfall of his foes….”(Ps. 112:1-10) Saintly people are happy people.

So I challenge myself and I challenge you to life a life of holiness, a saintly life for one day…..just one day. Let’s give it a try. May our next days and our last days on earth be lived as a saint. Wow, that will make us happy. And that would be very good news.