ON HUMAN DESTINY: TO BECOME SAINTS

“What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9).

The question of human destiny has haunted humanity from the beginning of history. Where do I come from? Why am I here? Where am I going? These fundamental questions shape our understanding of life’s meaning and purpose. The Catholic Church offers a profound and comprehensive vision of human destiny – one rooted in divine revelation, refined through centuries of theological reflection and illuminated by the lives of the saints. In this month when we celebrate the feast of All Saints and commemorate our deceased, I would like to share with you some reflections on human destiny, also in the light of the canonization of Sr Maria Troncatti, a member of our own Salesian Family who was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on World Mission Sunday, 19 October 2025.

Human Destiny for a Christian

From a Catholic perspective, human destiny is fundamentally relational and supernatural. We are created in the image and likeness of God (Gen 1:27), not merely to exist but to know, love, and serve God in this life and to be happy with Him forever in the next. This destiny transcends our earthly existence; it is nothing less than participation in divine life – what some Fathers of the Church called apotheosis or divinization. As the Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches in its very first article, “God, infinitely perfect and blessed in himself, in a plan of sheer goodness freely created man to make him share in his own blessed life” (CCC 1).

Christian destiny involves both divine providence and human freedom unlike fate, proposed by some philosophies and religions, which suggest an impersonal, predetermined path that cannot be changed. The Greeks spoke of moira (fate), an impersonal force that even the gods could not escape. The Stoics taught acceptance of one’s predetermined fate as the path to tranquillity. We know how Hinduism and Buddhism speak of karma and reincarnation, where one’s actions determine future rebirths until liberation (moksha or nirvana) is achieved. But the Catholic Church teaches us that we are not puppets controlled by an arbitrary cosmic force, but beloved children invited to enter into relationship with our Creator. Our destiny, therefore, is beatific vision – the direct, intimate knowledge and love of God that constitutes eternal happiness. This is not imposed upon us but offered as a gift, requiring our free cooperation with divine grace.

Human Destiny in the Bible

Bible tells us that human beings are created for communion with God. Humans had the privilege of walking with God in the garden of Eden (Gen 3:8). The Fall disrupted that communion though it did not annihilate the destiny. God’s promise to Abraham and the restoration of Israel foretold in the prophets is an indication of the future restoration of that destiny enjoyed by humans in the beginning. Isaiah envisioned it as “the wolf dwelling with the lamb” (Isa 11:6) and God “wiping away tears from all faces” (Isa 25:8). The Book of Wisdom explicitly spoke of the immortality of humans by stating that “the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God… In the eyes of the foolish they seem to have died… but they are in peace” (Wis 3:1-3).

The New Testament transforms and fulfills Old Testament hopes. Jesus Christ reveals that human destiny is not merely survival after death but eternal life in communion with the Triune God. His teaching is unambiguous: “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). Thus, our lives really and meaningfully lived here and now will reach its fulfilment in eternity.

The Resurrection of Jesus is the cornerstone of Christian hope with regard to human destiny. As St Paul declares, “If Christ has not been raised, our faith is futile” (1 Cor 15:17). But Christ has been raised, becoming “the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep” (1 Cor 15:20). Our destiny is resurrection, not mere spiritual immortality but bodily transformation and glorification. Paul’s letters elaborate this vision: We are predestined “to be conformed to the image of his Son” (Rom 8:29); Our present sufferings “are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18); we await “a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body” (Phil 3:20-21).

As St Paul clearly states, though we are as human beings not perfect, our destiny is “to be holy”, and growing to holiness is natural, at least to the degree that grace builds on nature. This is evident in St Paul’s letter to the Ephesians in which he reminds the Catholics at Ephesus of their purpose in life: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavens, as he chose us in him, before the foundation of the world, to be holy and without blemish before him. In love he destined us for adoption to himself through Jesus Christ, in accord with the favour of his will, for the praise of the glory of his grace that he granted us in the beloved” (Eph 1:3-6). The words of St Peter also echo the same. “For you and for me, however, the goal is the same: “Be holy yourselves in every aspect of your conduct for it is written, ‘Be holy because I am holy’” (1 Pt 15-16).

The Book of Revelation provides vivid imagery of our ultimate destiny: the New Jerusalem descending from heaven; God dwelling with humanity; the wiping away of every tear, the end of death and mourning (Rev 21:1-4). The redeemed share in Christ’s reign and see God’s face (Rev 22:4-5).

Destiny in the Tradition of the Church

Writings of the Fathers of the Church reveal deep theological reflection on our ultimate end. They developed further the biblical vision of human destiny. Many of them understood human destiny to be a progressive transformation into God’s image and likeness. We are called not merely to moral improvement but to participation in the divine nature itself (2 Pet 1:4). Thus St Athanasius would say, “God became human so that human beings might become god”. St Augustine, who shaped Western theology in the first millennium, in his City of God distinguished between the earthly city and the City of God, our true homeland. Augustine emphasized that our destiny is found only in God, not in created things. He developed the theology of grace, showing that our movement toward our destiny is entirely dependent on God’s initiative while respecting human freedom.

The modern era has presented both challenges and opportunities for understanding human destiny. The Enlightenment emphasized human autonomy and reason, sometimes minimizing transcendent destiny. Secularization has led many to seek meaning within purely earthly horizons. Materialism and scientism claim there is no destiny beyond biological existence.

Yet modernity has also brought positive developments. Greater awareness of human dignity, social justice and universal human rights can be seen as implications of our common destiny as God’s children. The Church has engaged modernity by showing that authentic human fulfilment requires acknowledgment of our transcendent destiny. Existentialist philosophy, while often atheistic, raised profound questions about meaning and authenticity that resonate with Christian concern for genuine human destiny. The twentieth century’s unprecedented violence, namely world wars, genocides, nuclear weapons, etc., made questions of ultimate meaning and destiny urgently relevant. The Church responded by emphasizing that only recognition of our eternal destiny provides adequate foundation for human dignity and rights.

The Second Vatican Council (1962-1965) provided comprehensive teaching on human destiny. For example, Gaudium et Spes addressed human destiny in dialogue with modern culture. It emphasizes the irreducible dignity flowing from our transcendent destiny. The document confronts atheism by showing that denial of God ultimately leads to denial of human dignity and meaning. It presents Christ as the one who “fully reveals man to himself and makes his supreme calling clear” (GS 22). Lumen Gentium articulates the universal call to holiness (Chapter 5): all Christians, regardless of vocation, are called to the perfection of charity and union with God. This is our common destiny. The document also beautifully describes the pilgrim Church on earth united with the Church in heaven and purgatory – the communion of saints – journeying toward the same destination.

Many of the modern Popes have consistently taught about human destiny, especially in response to ideologies that deny transcendence. For example, Pope Leo XIII in Rerum Novarum (1891) grounded social teaching in the truth that humans have an immortal destiny, which gives them inalienable dignity no economic system may violate. Pope Paul VI in Populorum Progressio (1967) spoke of “integral human development”, showing that authentic progress includes spiritual and eternal dimensions. In Humanae Vitae (1968) he connected respect for life’s transmission with recognition of humanity’s transcendent destiny. Pope John Paul II made human dignity and destiny central to his pontificate. In his first encyclical Redemptor Hominis (1979) he proclaimed that Christ reveals not only God to man but “man to himself”. His Theology of the Body showed how our bodily existence and sexuality are oriented toward eternal communion. In Evangelium Vitae (1995) he taught that respect for human life flows from recognition of our eternal destiny. His encyclical Veritatis Splendor (1993) showed that moral law guides us toward our true destiny.

Pope Benedict XVI in Spe Salvi (2007) provided a profound meditation on Christian hope and destiny. He critiqued false hopes of modern ideologies and showed that only God can satisfy the human heart’s infinite longing. He wrote: “We need the greater and lesser hopes that keep us going day by day. But these are not enough without the great hope, which must surpass everything else.” Even while advocating for creation and the poor, Pope Francis in both Lumen Fidei (2013) and Laudato Si’ (2015) emphasized that our eternal destiny shapes how we live now. In Gaudete et Exsultate (2018) he called everyone to holiness, our true destiny.

Saints Provide an Example

The saints provide not merely theories but lived testimonies of human destiny. Their lives illuminate the path to our true end. St Francis of Assisi lived with heaven as his homeland, calling death “Sister Death”. His poverty witnessed to the truth that our treasure is in heaven, not earth. His Canticle praised God through creation while acknowledging that all things point beyond themselves to their Creator.  St Thomas Aquinas, the Angelic Doctor, provided a systematic theology of human destiny. In his Summa Theologica he taught that our ultimate end (finis ultimus) is the beatific vision – seeing God as He is. This vision exceeds all natural capacities: it is pure gift. Aquinas showed that all human desire ultimately seeks God, whether consciously or not, because we are made for infinite Good. St Theresa of the Child Jesus showed that the “little way” of spiritual childhood leads to heaven. Her confidence in God’s mercy revolutionized how ordinary people understood their path to salvation. On her deathbed she promised: “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.” She understood that our destiny involves continued love and service even in eternity.

Don Bosco experienced several prophetic dreams that illuminated his understanding of eternal destiny. “The Dream of Hell” (1868) profoundly affected Don Bosco and his boys. In this vision he witnessed the torments of hell and recognized some of his students among the damned. Upon waking, he described what he had seen, and many boys were moved to confession and conversion. This dream reinforced several truths including that eternal destiny is decided by how we live now and hell is the persistent rejection of God’s grace.

Don Bosco’s “preventive system” of education was explicitly oriented toward helping young people reach heaven. He believed that education is not merely about earthly success but about preparing souls for their eternal destiny. The motto “Give me souls, take away the rest” is an indication that he measured success not by worldly achievement but by his boys’ progress in sanctity. He taught that work and duty, when done for love of God, sanctify us and prepare us for heaven. He formed his boys to be “honest citizens and good Christians”, showing that temporal responsibilities and eternal destiny are not opposed but integrated. Don Bosco spoke of three citizenships – of civil society, Church, heaven – the first two being prelude and preparation for the third and ultimate.

Most importantly, we can say that Don Bosco himself became a living example of one journeying toward God. His holiness, joy, miracles and love made heaven tangible and desirable to thousands. When he died in 1888, his last words were of paradise: “Tell my boys I am waiting for them in paradise”. His life demonstrated that sanctity or reaching one’s true destiny, is possible and attractive.

Sr Maria Troncatti, the New Salesian Saint

In the newly canonized Saint Maria Troncatti we encounter a luminous witness to the missionary heart of the Church. For over fifty years this humble Daughter of Mary Help of Christians served the Shuar people in the Amazon forests of Ecuador, embodying the Gospel call to heal, teach and reconcile. St Maria Troncatti is remembered not only for her extraordinary medical skills but for her unwavering faith and deep love for the people she served. Affectionately called “Madrecita”, (dear mother), she embodied the Gospel through decades of tireless service, transforming lives and communities with the gentle strength of a consecrated heart.

Born on 16 February 1883, in Corteno Golgi, Italy, Maria Troncatti grew up in a large, loving family, moulded by the warmth of her parents and the rhythm of rural life. From a young age she showed a generous spirit, caring for her siblings and attending catechism with devotion. Her religious vocation matured quietly, nurtured by prayer and parish life, until she entered the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, making her first profession in 1908 at Nizza Monferrato.

During World War I, Maria served as a Red Cross nurse in a military hospital. This experience would become the cornerstone of her missionary work, equipping her with the skills and resilience needed for the challenges ahead.

In 1922 Maria departed for Ecuador, joining two other Sisters in the remote and perilous Amazon region. Their mission among the Shuar people was marked by hardship and courage. She served as nurse, surgeon, dentist, anaesthetist, and orthopaedist, often performing life-saving procedures with limited resources. Her medical care was deeply appreciated, as her fellow Sister Maria Parón Valentinuzzi FMA recalled, “People preferred to be treated by her, because they believed that if Sister Maria took care of them, they would surely be cured.” But her healing extended beyond the body. She was a catechist and evangelizer, forming Christian families, promoting education and uplifting Shuar women with dignity and hope.

Her work helped reconcile tensions between the Shuar and settlers earning her the title “champion of peace”. In one unforgettable episode, recounted in her own words, a tribe poised for vengeance was calmed by the simple declaration: “No one enters, because the Mother who speaks with God is resting here.” The attackers withdrew in silence, a testament to the reverence she inspired.

Sr Maria’s sanctity was not proclaimed, instead it was lived. She prayed constantly, often seen with her rosary in hand. Her holiness radiated through her actions, not sermons. As Sister Florinda Pesantéz Ordoñes testified, “She would draw us by her example; not by sermons, but by her own life.” Her heroic consecration in the harsh realities of missionary life left a lasting impression on all who knew her.

Tragically, she died in a plane crash on 25 August 1969, while en route to a spiritual retreat.

The Church recognized her heroic virtue by declaring her Venerable in 2008 and Beatified in 2012. On 19 October 2025, Pope Leo XIV canonized Sr Maria Troncatti, affirming what so many had long believed: she is a saint. Her life continues to inspire missionaries, healthcare workers and all who seek to live the Gospel with courage and compassion; it is a testament to the power of faith lived in action and in hope of final destiny in God. Her legacy endures: the Mother who spoke with God, and who healed with love.

Conclusion

Understanding our destiny should transform how we live. If we are made for eternity, everything looks different. St Paul’s words can become also our program: “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (Col 3:1-2). This does not mean neglecting earthly responsibilities but ordering them properly. We work, love, create and serve not as if earthly life were all there is, but as preparation for and anticipation of eternal life. Every act of love, truth, justice and beauty has eternal significance because it conforms us to Christ and builds His kingdom.

Our destiny is becoming partakers of the divine nature, seeing God face to face, experiencing joy beyond all imagining. This destiny is both gift and task. It is gift because we could never achieve it by our own efforts; it utterly exceeds our natural capacities and depends entirely on God’s grace. It is task because God respects our freedom and invites our cooperation. He will not force us to heaven; we must freely choose, day by day, to follow the path He has marked out.

As we navigate the complexities of modern life, its opportunities and temptations, its achievements and crises, the Church continues to proclaim this ancient yet ever new truth: we are pilgrims, not settlers. We are made for more than this world can offer. Our true homeland awaits us, and Christ has gone ahead to prepare a place for us (John 14:2).

Don Bosco’s and Maria Troncatti’s lives exemplify how this teaching becomes practical spirituality. They didn’t merely teach about heaven; they helped thousands of young people find their way there. Their joy, their dreams, their work, their devotion to Mary, their sacramental emphasis – all were oriented toward one goal: getting souls to heaven.

Dear Confreres, may this vision of our destiny inspire us to live with purpose, hope and joy. Let us remember what the French novelist and Catholic convert Léon Bloy stated and Pope Francis quoted in Gaudete et Exsultate: “The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.” May we, like all the saints, order our entire lives toward this ultimate end/destiny. May the intercession of all the saints accompany us all in our life and ministry.

Yours affectionately in Don Bosco,

Fr. Jose Koyickal sdb
Provincial