The readings for Solemnity of All Saints may be found at:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/110126.cfm
Today, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.
A day when the Church reminds us
that we are all called to become saints.
Not just priests and religious.
Not just the men and women whose statues
we see in our churches
or whose names appear on the Church calendar.
Every one of us.
When we think about the saints,
we sometimes see people
who were somehow different from us.
Holier.
Stronger in their faith,
better at living the Catholic life.
But the saints didn't begin as perfect people.
They struggled.
They suffered.
They made mistakes.
Some pretty serious ones.
What made them saints
was their willingness
to keep turning back to God,
allowing His grace
to transform their lives.
That same grace is available to us,
through prayer,
through the sacraments,
and especially through the Eucharist
we are about to receive.
And that's what’s so awesome about the saints.
They remind us
of what’s possible
when ordinary people
allow God
to do extraordinary things through them.
And in the Gospel for this day,
Jesus gives us the Beatitudes.
Blessed are the poor in spirit.
Blessed are those who mourn.
Blessed are the meek.
Blessed are the merciful.
Blessed are the clean of heart.
Blessed are the peacemakers.
Notice Jesus doesn't say
blessed are those who have it all figured out.
He doesn't say
blessed are those whose lives are easy,
who never suffer,
who never make mistakes.
Instead, He talks about humility,
mercy, compassion, suffering,
and desiring righteousness.
Jesus is describing what holiness looks like
in the ordinary circumstances of our lives.
And when we look at the lives of the saints,
that's exactly what we see.
People who were merciful.
People who sought peace.
People who hungered for righteousness.
People who trusted God,
even when following Him came at a cost.
The saints didn't just admire the Beatitudes.
They lived them.
I think, sometimes, we underestimate
what God can do through us.
We see our weaknesses,
our mistakes,
and convince ourselves
that sainthood is for somebody else.
But God doesn't look at us that way.
God knows us better than we know ourselves.
He knows our weakness,
but He also knows
what we can do
when we cooperate with His grace.
He never stops calling us to something greater.
And ultimately,
that something greater
is heaven.
Because becoming a saint
isn't just about becoming a better person.
It's about becoming the person
God created us to be,
so that one day,
we can live forever with Him,
in the company of all the saints.
That doesn't mean life will be easy.
There will be joy,
but also suffering and heartbreak.
The saints knew that.
And Jesus never promised His disciples an easy life.
In fact, today, He tells us
that we may be insulted
and persecuted because of Him.
He also tells us to rejoice and be glad,
because our reward will be great in heaven.
Holiness isn't about avoiding a difficult life.
It's about inviting God
into the mess of life,
and allowing Him
to work through us.
Every day,
God gives us opportunities for holiness,
whether we see them or not.
An opportunity to forgive someone who hurt us.
To be patient with someone testing that patience.
To comfort someone struggling.
To show kindness
when it would be easier to go about our day.
These may seem like small things.
But when we respond to those moments
with love,
mercy, and compassion,
something extraordinary happens.
Ordinary moments can become holy.
That's how most saints become saints.
Through countless ordinary moments
of choosing to love God
and neighbor above all else.
So this week,
as we remember the holy men and women
who have gone before us,
maybe we can ask ourselves,
What is God asking of me, right here, right now?
Because we're not called to just admire the saints.
We're called to follow their example.
Our families, our parish, and our world need that.
Let's be merciful.
Let's be peacemakers.
Let's be humble of heart.
And let's look for those ordinary moments
when God calls us to do something extraordinary.
Because the saints weren't born saints.
They became saints
by saying yes to God,
again and again.
The saints show us what is possible.
The Beatitudes show us how to get there.
And with God's grace,
one day,
may we be counted among them.
