It is 01st November 2020. We celebrate the Feast of All Saints. The readings are from Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; the second reading is from 1 John 3:1-3; and the Gospel from Matthew 5:1-12a.
There is no excuse for anyone to be exempted being a saint. It is not too late to be saint.
A little boy wanted to meet God and he set on a journey with some biscuits, candy, and some soft drink. He reached a park when he sat near an old lady who was feeding birds with some food grains. Since it was hot, and he was tired, he opened his food containers. As he began eating, he looked at the old lady near by and shared some biscuits with her. She gave a smile and got the biscuits. After some moment, he started to eat the chocolate, again he offered a bar of chocolate and this time too she gave a smile and enjoyed the chocolate. In the evening he wanted to have the soft drink, once again he shared the drink with her now, she gave a broad smile. They never exchanged any words. Late in the evening the little came home, the mother noticed his happiness on his face asked the reason for his happiness: “Mum, I had lunch with God.”.” He continued telling the mother, “Look mom, she had the most beautiful smile I have ever seen.” At the other end, the Old Woman too reached home and her son asked her why she looked so happy. She responded saying, “Look son I had lunch with God today and I did not know God was so young.”
Seeing God in others and reflecting God to others is what sainthood is all about.
We are all called to be saints. Saint Augustine taught us: “If she and he can become a saint, why can’t I. There is no saint without a past, and no sinner without a future.” It is a feast day for all of us indeed. This feast invites to strengthen and obtain their intercession of our communion of saints. It is a fraternal growth and communion with the power of the Holy Spirit. It is a spiritual communion not mere devotion piety alone. It is not only those who are remembered by the Church but all those who are still living among us and forgotten by us are radiating Christ by their lives. We are all called to participate in God’s holiness. We are all pilgrims just passing by in this world hence we are in the world not of world by rediscovering ourselves daily and focusing our entire being towards Heaven is the call to holiness. It is through our consistent and persistent prayers we are strengthened in the communion of Saints. The spiritual bonding with the saints especially our patron saints allows us to pray to God through their powerful intercessions and the saints too pray for us and brings us closer to God through their virtuous and holy life.
“To be saints is not a privilege for the few, but a vocation for everyone.” Pope Francis. Martyrdom of a person for faith, the miracles attributed to the person and the heroic virtues of the person are approved by the Church for sainthood.
“Sun and scorching wind will never plague them, because the Lamb who is at the heart of the throne will be their shepherd and will guide them to the springs of living water; and God will wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7:16-17).
It is the celebration of being grateful for the lives of some ordinary men and women who lived and contributed so extraordinarily by their lives. Saints are the pure wheat of Christ (Jn.12:24)
Who do we call as saint? A person who is happy and allowing and helping others to be happy is the sain without any pretention and prejudice whatsoever.
In 837, Pope Gregory IV allowed the feast to be observed in the Church. This feast began as a feast of All Martyrs during 4th century. In the second century the names of the saints started to be included in the liturgical calendars of the churches.
Our Blessed Mother Mary, the Apostles and martyrs are always venerated so dearly by the Church always. We are all closed united in prayers with the saints during every Eucharistic celebration.
St. Irenaeus: fully human is fully divine. A person who goes all out to render the best for the others has mastered being charitable to oneself.
A person who goes after the lost and the last one in the family and community is a living saint. (Lk.15:4). It is the day we remember all the saintly persons who are forgotten and not celebrated individually during the year. There are innumerable examples of inspiring and soul stirring lives in front of us to emulate, imitate, be inspired and to seek their prayers and intercessions.
Do you know your patron saint? How often we approach to get their guidance and intercessions? Who is your favourite saint of your life so far? How many saints’ lives have you read so far? Do we know our saints profound and be inspired by their lives daily? Spiritual reading updates and alters our lives.
There are nine types of angels such are Seraphim, Cherubim, Thrones, Dominion, Virtues, Powers, Principalities, Archangel, Guardian Angel, and the tenth are the saints.
Among the saints, there are Martyrs, Monks, Contemplatives, Commentators, Prophets, Choir, Care Takers, Peace Makers, The merciful, and the Preachers.
We all have a saint to intercede and to an angel to guard and lead us to God.
Sainthood is a status and a statement of one’s life to the rest of the humanity.
We are reminded that everyone can be saints. The turbulence of life cannot stop us to be saints.
The Gospel chosen for today’s feast gives us the Eight Beatitudes. It is in fact a charter for holiness. Each of the Beatitude starts with the word ‘blessed’ means ‘happy’ or fortunate. We who know Christ are so fortunate or blessed to be saints. If we say we are Christian, we ought to be saints.
A saint is a person who is happy and allows and makes the others happy.
It is not avoiding evil alone but thinking and doing good is what contributes to saintly life.
The Eight ways of being Blessed or Saint or happy:
- The Poor in Spirit: relying on God always even in amidst poverty and brokenness.
- The Gentle: sensible people with the heart of Jesus to reach out in compassion and charity.
- The Comforter: accompanying the sorrowful and in grief without prejudice.
- The Just: willing to pay even their lives to safeguard the dignity and self-respect of the other person’s welfare.
- The Merciful: compassionate and forgiving heart without measure.
- The pure of Heart: the simple, transparent and the reflectors of presence of God.
- The Peace makers: the unifiers and the bridges of human hearts and communities. St. Francis of Assisi
- The Persecuted: the martyrs who do not require a miracle to qualify to be saint in defending truth, love, and justice.
We all can choose one of the ways to be happy and making others to be happy.
Being a saint means to make others to experience God in us. Holiness never gets outdated – Pope Benedict XVI. To be holy is so personal yet universal. God’s love displayed with its intensity in and through a person by their holiness. The moment we step out of our comfort zone, God steps into our uncomfortable zones. “Copy me, my brothers and sisters, as I copy Christ himself.” (1 Cor. 11:1).
May the Lord kindly bless each one us to realize our potentiality and inherent yearning to be the saints to make this world a better place to live in. Have a lovely day. God bless you.