American songwriter, John Fogerty, has always been respected for the thoughtful lyrics to many of his songs.

He has not been particularly thought of as a writer of spiritual compositions.

One of his songs, however, is full of joy, optimism and a kind of a wistful faith — a refreshing change from a lot of the morbid stuff we mostly hear on the airwaves.

In “Don’t you wish it was true”, JF sings about how, “I dreamed I walked in heaven just the other night. There was so much beauty, so much light”.

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He goes on about an angel taking his hand and saying how it might be if a day came when “tomorrow everybody was your friend. Anyone could take you in, no matter what or where you’ve been”.

And how “the worlds gonna change and it’s starting today  . . . no more armies, no more hate . . . There’ll be singing and laughter, sweet harmony . . . everybody under the sun was happy just living as one. No borders or battles to be won. . .  if tomorrow everybody was your friend, happiness would never end. Lord, don’t you wish it was true. What a beautiful day!”

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The whole thing is beautiful in a simple way.

Why isn’t it true?

Why are people not as one, living in harmony?

What would it take to make it true?

Well, I can’t change the world. You can’t change the world. Yet as the song says it could start today.  It will have to start with you and me changing, not so much the world, as with changing ourselves.

Or, to be more accurate, letting God change us.

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Mary MacKillop wrote to her mother about the idea of ordinary people being saints.

She didn’t consider it a ludicrous or absurd idea.

She knew her own Mum, in a quiet, humble fashion, to be something of a saint.

The words that Blessed Mary wrote were as follows: “Dear Mamma, do you try now in real earnest to be a saint? You may smile at my question . . . . I used to think it the height of presumption to desire such a thing but have been taught that such diffidence is not humility but a defect that really disappoints the love of God for our souls.”

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So there you are. God wants to change the world by making ordinary people — more or less nobodies, like you and me — into saints, so that the “beautiful day” may come.

Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name, thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven . . . .

Yes, may that day come soon.

Let us, you and me, try to let it come in our own lives and in our families.