Today and tomorrow serve as very important days in the life of the Church.
Today we celebrate All Saint's Day where we call to mind all the angels and saints of Heaven who now intercede on our behalf. This includes those whose names have been revealed to us by God as well as all those who go unknown by name.
Tomorrow will fall the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed also known as All Soul's Day. On this day we recall the necessity to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory in order that they may be purified and thus come to receive their Heavenly reward.
Therefore we now turn our attention towards the saints. In doing so we must not distance ourself from them. They lived a holy life which was dedicated towards God, but we too are called to do the same. The saints do not show that the journey towards Heaven is impossible, but rather they show that the journey towards Heaven is possible.
Some never contemplate the saints while keeping in mind that they too are to strive to be a saint like them. After all if we are to make it to Heaven then we in return will be known as a saint. Therefore we must start to order our life in such a manner.
The saints prayed and trusted in God. The saints learned to offer up their sufferings thus joining them to the wood of the cross. The saints truly saw others as one created in the image and the likeness of God the Father. The saints came to acknowledge the mercy of God and thus prevailed themselves to it in the Sacrament of Confession.
If we study the lives of the saints we will see that every story has the same end result. That they died in the state of grace. Through the study of their lives we will see that they each took different journeys to arrive at this end result. Some lived out lives of sin, but found conversion. Some suffered greatly from physical ailments. Some lived out a virtuous life from an early age.
Therefore no matter the path that we currently find ourself upon we must be like the saints and die in the state of grace. We must realize that no matter what we are going through and struggling with that it can be overcome through the mercy of God. God is merciful with us as He was merciful with the saints.
Can we trust that God desires us to be a saint? Can we trust that God gives us the grace which is necessary to become a saint? Can we trust that despite the sin, struggle, or hardship of our life that we can faithfully endure upon this journey of faith?
Truly we are called to be saints and therefore on this day we turn are attention to all the angels and saints of Heaven and we ask for their intercession. May they pray for us that we too may be holy and pursue God in our daily life as we strive to one day join them in the Kingdom of Heaven. May all the angels and saints of Heaven, pray for us.
