Solemnity of All Saints

After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb."

We are all called to be saints. Growing up, many of us may have seen the saints as otherworldly people. We might have said to ourselves, those people were special. We might even have believed we could never be like them. However, that’s not the right way to think of sainthood. Everyone who ends up in heaven is a part of the community of saints. Some people may get there faster than others or be recognized as being in heaven by the Church, but that doesn’t lessen the fact that all Christians have a vocation to sainthood. And even more important to remember is the fact that all of the saints were normal people, who by choice lived good and faithful lives. Some of them were missionaries, others cloistered. Some were ordained, others were lay faithful. Some were single, others married. Some were mothers and fathers, others had no children except those they chose to help. The important thing to remember is that each of us have been given the gifts and talents we need to become saints, but it is up to us to choose the path of holiness. And hopefully we do.

How can we live out our calling to be saints? What gifts and talents has God given us? How can we put them to use for God and for the good of others?

O Lord, from you comes salvation and holiness.

Amen.