Why saints must die before they truly live

Most people want to be saints.

Few are willing to die for it.

And no, I don’t just mean physical martyrdom. I mean something far harder—the death of self.

Because here’s the truth: No one becomes a saint until they first die.

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1. The Saint Who Dug His Own Grave

Let’s talk about St. Benedict Joseph Labre.

He wanted to be a monk. But every monastery rejected him. He was too weak. Too sickly. Too fragile.

So what did he do?

He became a beggar. He wandered from shrine to shrine, wearing rags, sleeping in the streets, living off scraps. People thought he was insane. But he wasn’t.

He had already died to the world.

By the time he physically died at 35, he was already long gone in spirit—buried in self-denial, resurrected only in Christ.

And that’s the secret. The ones who become saints are already dead before they leave this earth.

They no longer care about reputation.
They no longer fear suffering.
They no longer seek comfort.

They are dead men walking.

2. The Death of the Will

St. Catherine of Siena once prayed,

“Lord, take away my will, and give me Yours.”

And He did.

She lived in extreme fasting and self-denial, caring for the sick, rebuking corrupt leaders, and receiving divine visions. She wrote letters that shook the Church, influencing popes and kings.

But she had no life of her own.

She had given it up. Her will was dead.

This is what most people fear.

They want holiness, but they still want to hold the reins. They want sainthood, but they don’t want to crucify their desires.

It doesn’t work like that.

Saints aren’t people who merely “try” to be good. They are people whose wills have been shattered and replaced with God’s.

And until you die in this way, you will never truly live.

3. The Death of the Body

For many saints, the death of the will wasn’t enough.

They went further. They crucified their flesh.

• St. Rose of Lima rubbed pepper into her face to destroy her beauty and avoid vanity.
• St. Simeon Stylites lived on top of a pillar for 37 years, exposed to the elements.
• St. Francis of Assisi rolled in the snow to fight temptation.
• St. Padre Pio bore the stigmata—open wounds that never healed, mirroring Christ’s crucifixion.

Were they crazy? Maybe to the world.

But to them, the world was already dead.

They didn’t live for comfort. They lived for something greater. And because they chose to die, they found life in ways most of us never will.

4. The Death of Reputation

St. John of the Cross was imprisoned by his own fellow monks.

He had been trying to reform the Carmelite order, bringing them back to holiness. The others? They hated it. So they locked him in a tiny, dark cell, whipping him regularly.

But instead of breaking, he wrote poetry about God’s love in the darkness.

Instead of resenting, he embraced the suffering.

Instead of defending himself, he died to his reputation.

Most of us can’t stand being misunderstood. We want people to know our intentions, to think well of us.

Saints?

They let it go.

They let their reputation die, knowing that only God’s opinion matters.

5. The Death of Fear

St. Joan of Arc was 17 when she led an army.

She wasn’t trained. She wasn’t educated. She wasn’t a warrior.

But she wasn’t afraid.

Even when she was captured, even when she was on trial, even when they burned her at the stake—she stood firm.

Because she had already died.

She had died to fear. To self-preservation. To doubt.

And because of that, she lived more fully than most people ever will.

Meditative Challenge

Tonight, take some time to reflect. What still needs to die in you?

• Your will? Do you still insist on your own way?
• Your body? Are you too attached to comfort and ease?
• Your reputation? Are you afraid of what people think?
• Your fear? Are you holding back because of doubt?

Write it down. Then ask God to kill it.

Because until you die, you will never truly live.