Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.
This day is very important for us for on it we call to mind each and every saint who has now gone before us into their Heavenly glory and thus now pray for us and for the whole world.
The saints inspire our mind to greater things then this worldly life can offer because they elevate our mind towards Heaven and thus towards an encounter with God.
It would be a grave error for us to live out our life as if there exists a disconnect between them and us. There is not a disconnect with the saints, but rather they point us towards Heaven and thus towards holiness of life. We must realize that sanctity is something which is possible for each of us and thus strive to achieve the reality towards which they now profess, Heaven.
From the 2nd Vatican document, Lumen Gentium, we hear: “All the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity; They must follow in His footsteps and conform themselves to His image seeking the will of the Father in all things. They must devote themselves with all their being to the glory of God and the service of their neighbor.”
Keeping this in mind we must realize that we are called to be like the saints and thus to pursue holiness in our everyday life. Holiness is not something which is vague, but something which is finite. The thought of holiness and thus sanctity may be terrifying for the mind to grasp, but we must realize that it is achievable.
We cannot get caught up in the fear that my past sins are too great to be forgiven. We cannot get caught up in the excuse that I am not holy now, so there is no hope for me. We cannot get caught up in the lie that God likes me for who I am and thus sin is a relative matter. We cannot forget that the path towards holiness is a process through which we undergo and thus it cannot be achieved over night.
Truly the saints of Heaven have now gone before us and they show us that Heaven is a possibility. May we allow all the saints of Heaven to intercede on our behalf that we may strive for holiness in our everyday life for truly we desire in time to be numbered among the many saints of Heaven.
