Solemnity of All Saints

Today's Mass Readings

All Saints’ Day reminds us that our ultimate goal is union with God in heaven. Thankfully we have countless saints who have already walked the path, been tested, and proven worthy to enter the Kingdom of heaven. The sheer diversity among the saints attests to the many and varied graces that God bestows on those who seek His face. Numbered among the saints are young and old, intellectuals and the uneducated, priests and religious, married and single, men and women. All were able to find sanctity and love God and their neighbor in both times of persecution and peace, attesting that we too can seek God amid any circumstances no matter the difficulties of our environment or era.

While the saints rejoice in God’s presence, they never cease to intercede with the Father for us. Like good friends, they support us in our spiritual journey hoping that we will one day experience the glory to be revealed for us. When we feel alone, discouraged, or lost, we must make friends with the saints and rely on their prayerful assistance.

The powerful witness of the saints is revealed in their lives and shaped by the Beatitudes. In seeking peace in their own hearts and fostering it in those around them, Pope Francis remarked, “The saints do not waste energy complaining about the failings of others; they can hold their tongue before the faults of their brothers and sisters, and avoid the verbal violence that demeans and mistreats others. Saints hesitate to treat others harshly; they consider others better than themselves. Far from being timid, morose, acerbic or melancholy, or putting on a dreary face, the saints are joyful and full of good humor.” Pope Francis’ words challenge us to consider how our relationship with Jesus Christ impacts the ways we treat others and respond to God’s blessings.

We are called to join in the heavenly company, not relying on our own strength, but by daily entrusting our cares and concerns, and our very lives to God, realizing that every breath is a gift. The saints are distinguished by a spirit of prayer and a need for communion with God, which is precisely what we are called to cultivate in our life. Start by asking God for the gift of prayer, the awareness throughout the day to raise your mind and heart to God, whether you are driving the kids to school, at work in the office, doing laundry, preparing meals, or during any other activity that occupies your time. Sanctity is found in fidelity to the duties in accord with our state in life. The Second Vatican Council states, “All Christ’s faithful, whatever be the conditions, duties, and circumstances of their lives—and indeed through all these, will daily increase in holiness, if they receive all things with faith from the hand of their heavenly Father and if they cooperate with the divine will.”

Let us joyfully receive all that God desires to give us this day.

Reflection Question: What is one saint am I drawn to or want to get to know better? How can I invite him or her to accompany in my daily life?

Reflection by Fr. Paul Sheller, OSB