Word to the Wise
Tuesday, November 1, 2022 - Nov. 1 - All Saints
[Rev 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matt 5:1-12a]See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. [1 John]
The great Carmelite saint-mystic, St. John of the Cross, once wrote: "In the end, what we shall be judged on is love." The essence of sainthood is love - love of God and love of neighbor. One does not have to be "canonized" to become a saint. One must love God with all one's heart, mind and strength, and our neighbor as ourselves. The words quoted above from the First Letter of John (today's second scripture) tell us that God loves us as his children. Do we return that love and share it with our neighbor?
The vision of sainthood that we see in the Book of Revelation with figures in white robes and holding palm branches, along with popular religious art, can make "saints" into impossible figures to imitate. There is no "nitty-gritty" of sainthood in such images. "Sainthood" is an everyday effort to direct our lives toward sharing God's love with others. It will include great moments and challenging moments, especially when the "other" may be difficult to deal with! We sometimes refer to people who are able to do this by saying, "That man/woman is a saint! I wouldn't be able to put up with such-and-such!" "Sainthood" may mean "tough love" at times, as well! The life of a good person can be a threat to those whose lives are self- or other-destructive. Last, but not least, "sainthood" is not to be confused with piety or devotion or multiplication of prayers!
We all need heroes and heroines to inspire us, and these folks may or may not be officially "canonized" persons. Can we think of someone we personally know or have known who fits the role? Who are the "saints" in our lives? The feast of All Saints includes them, and one day, may include us if we take love of God and neighbor seriously. The "communion of saints" which we profess belief in every time we say the NIcene or Apostles' Creed is ours to enjoy by virtue of baptism. Would anyone be able to tell it from the way we live? Haloes, white robes and palm branches make for great imagination, but in the end it will be love that makes a saint! AMEN