Christ the Cornerstone

Saints reveal our humanity and our need for God’s love

(En Espanol)
 

When the saint wakens from that dark night of love in which self has died, he too comes forth, he too knows the wonder of the Trinity in himself. Christ has risen in him, Christ is formed in him, the Holy Spirit descends upon him and his life is the breath of the Spirit of love. Sanctity is man’s integrity, the fullness and the wholeness of his humanity; in it suffering and joy are one thing, love; and love is Christ. (Caryll Houselander)

Sunday, November 1, is the Solemnity of All Saints. It’s a day when we give thanks to God for the witness of all the holy women and men—whether known or unknown, officially recognized by the Church or hidden in the everydayness of life—whose lives reveal the fullness of our humanity and the incomparable love of Jesus Christ.

All Saints is a day of rejoicing. It is a bold celebration of the hope implanted in our hearts at our baptism. With Christ, we have died to sin and selfishness. And we are called to honor all the saints, whose lives give witness to the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made for every one of us when he died on the cross only to rise again in triumph over every form of darkness and death.

To quote a popular saying: “Every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future.” The original context of this quote is sarcastic. It was meant to minimize the difference between those who are revered as models of sanctity and the rest of sinful humanity.

But in fact, there is a profound truth here. Every human being, except the Blessed Virgin Mary, bears in his or her life the effects of original sin, the tendency to be less than God intends us to be as his beloved children.

Even the greatest saints struggled with selfishness and sin. Their holiness is recognized not because they were free from the effects of original sin, but because of their ability to surrender their egos and accept God’s will in their lives.

The fact that great sinners can become great saints is a hopeful sign for all of us. The truth is that every saint does have a past, and every sinner has hope for the future.

The first reading for All Saints (Rv 7:2-4, 9-14) speaks of “the great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue” (Rv 7:9) who are gathered in heaven to give glory and praise to God. “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress. They have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb” (Rv 7:14).

The symbol of washing their robes speaks of their conversion from self-centeredness to being women and men whose lives are now centered on Christ. This radical change of mind and heart is what Jesus demands from each of us if we truly seek to be happy (blessed) as beloved children of God.

In the Gospel for All Saints (Mt 5:1-12a), the Lord does not define happiness the way that we ordinarily think of it—as one of many different forms of self-gratification or pleasure. Jesus describes happiness (beatitude) in a radically different way:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. (Mt 5:3-12)

Saints are those who are poor in spirit, who mourn as Jesus did, who are meek and humble of heart, who show kindness and mercy, who are peacemakers with clean hearts, and who accept whatever injustice is inflicted on them in Jesus’ name. Saints are sinners who have repented and been transformed. They have opened their hearts to God, and they can now rejoice in God’s abundant love and mercy.

All Saints celebrates everyone who fits this description whether boldly or in hidden ways. Let us rejoice and be glad with them giving glory and praise to God for the gift of all the saints! †