Friday, November 1, 2013

Homily: November 1 - Solemnity of All Saints


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Throughout the Church year, we celebrate events in the life of Christ, such as the birth of Our Savior at Christmas, His Passion on Good Friday, his Resurrection on Easter; we celebrate the descent of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, we venerate Our Blessed Mother, and celebrate her Immaculate Conception, her “yes” to God’s plan at the Annunciation, her Assumption into Heaven at the end of her earthly life. 

And we also celebrate feast days of the saints throughout the year: Saint Joseph, Saint John the Baptist, Saint Mary Magdalene, the Holy Apostles; martyrs like Saint Stephen, Saint Polycarp, Saint Sebastian, Saint Joan of Arc, consecrated religious like Saint Francis, Saint Dominic, Saint Clare, Saint Therese of Liseaux.  Popes who were saints, farmers who were saints, monks who were saints, widows who were saints.

Today, we raise our eyes to heaven, to the whole great cloud of witnesses in heaven—those saints whose names we know, and those we don’t, those saints who have specific feast days during the calendar year, and those that don’t.  We raise our eyes to heaven in thanksgiving to God for the Saints who pray for us constantly, who teach us by their example, instruct us by their preaching, who are our companions in our difficulties, who encourage us to remain faithful to Christ. 

And we do so with joy.  When a family member wins an award we are joyful.  My little sister was into gymnastics and cheerleading,  And I was happy when she performed well.  Or when our countrymen come win the gold at the Olympics, we are filled with delight. 

Well something greater than Olympic gold is being celebrated today.  The saints, our brothers and sisters in Christ, have won the glorious and imperishable crown, and we rejoice in their glory, especially because we know that they continue to help us be like them and to reach the same heavenly destination.

Down in the school this week, in talking of the Saints, I also showed them a picture of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.  This is a familiar image.  His heart, entwined with the crown of thorns, burning with the fire of love for His father and for mankind, shining with the light of God’s Truth and Divinity, to be a light for the world.  The saints while on earth seek the transformation of their hearts into his.  Their love for God is not lukewarm, not mediocre, but burning on fire with love-enkindled by prayer and the sacraments and a life of charity. 

The saints’ hearts are transformed into the heart of Jesus, willing to accept suffering for the sake of the kingdom of God and the spread of the Gospel, and by their example teach us to seek that same transformation. 

The saints also encourage us, that though this earthly pilgrimage has many pitfalls, with God’s grace the faithful Christian can reach pilgrim’s end in heaven.  It is possible, just as Christ promised.

Yesterday, at his weekly audience from Rome, Pope Francis spoke of the journey of faith.  He said, Trials and doubts are part of everyone's faith journey "even mine" he said. Bbut Christians know they can get through the hard times with help from God, other Christians and those in heaven. "Who hasn't experienced insecurities, losses and even doubts in the journey of faith?" the pope asked. "It's part of life. It should not shock us because we are human beings, marked by fragility and limits."

In times of difficulty, the pope said, "it is necessary to trust in God through prayer and, at the same time, it's important to find the courage and humility to open yourself to others in order to ask for help."

"All the baptized here on earth, the souls in purgatory and the blessed souls in heaven form one big family,"  And just as we so often turn to family members in times of difficulty, we should learn to turn to the saints, our brothers and sisters in heaven.

Down in the school one week, I was discussing the Saints with the students.  “Please raise your hand,” I asked them, “if you wish to go to heaven.”  All of them raised their hands. “Very good”, I said, “I would hope so.”  Then I asked, “Raise your hands if you wish to be a saint.”  There was a little bit of hesitation, and only about half of the hands went up.  I detected there was a bit of confusion.

Why would they hesitate?  Why did only half of the students raise their hands? When you hear the word saint, what do you think of?  A statue, a fanatic, a figure in a nice story? Maybe they had never made the connection, that God is calling them, personally, to be a saint.  Vatican II reaffirmed Church teaching that all of us are called, not to mediocrity, but to holiness.  The life of Faith is not merely a dimension of our life among others, but the center of our life which is to direct all of our activity.

“Dr. Peter Kreeft one of my favorite Catholic Philosophers once said, “One of the truest and most terrifying sentences I have ever read is this: "If you will look into your own heart in complete honesty, you must admit that there is one and only one reason why you are not a saint: you do not wholly want to be. That insight is terrifying because it is an indictment. But it is also thrillingly hopeful because it is an offer, an open door. Each of us can become a saint. We really can. What holds us back? Fear of paying the price. What is the price? You whole life…giving God a blank check.”

To desire to be a saint is to desire to become who God made us to be—to be filled with the love of God, to be set on fire with love of God in his service.  Do you want to be a saint?  I hope you do!


Today’s feast reassures us that God transforms our lives as we strive for spiritual perfection, that with his help, we can come to that place prepared for each of us in heaven, that striving to become like Christ, even in our suffering for the sake of the Gospel, we have the help of our brothers and sisters in heaven and can be filled with peace and joy for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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