THE CALL TO BE A SAINT
On November 1st of each year, we celebrate the great Solemnity of All Saints Day. The feast of All Saints teaches us that holiness comes in all sizes and shapes. The saints are rich and poor, young and old, scholars and those who could not read, and every era has its saints as does ours. The struggles may change; the saints are still among us.
Our Catholic faith teaches us that we are all called to be saints. Yet most of us have a difficult time taking this message seriously. After all, saints are extraordinary people that we can never be like them.
Many people have a false sense of what a saint is. After all, saints never sinned, did they? Saints were people with shining virtue -- humble, pure, kind, generous, who had incredible patience, and who served God in amazing ways. We must remember that saints were not born saints, they became saints. They underwent a conversion of heart, which resulted in a change of life. The change did not happen overnight but was the result of a long and painful struggle.
The saints were people who believed in the Good News of God’s unconditional love began to return his love and found their lives changed. It was a gradual process of transformation that did not rule out further falls. If we reflect on the life of St. Paul, we see a man who struggled to understand, who doubted, and who, at times, failed miserably. Yet through his willingness to serve God and be a disciple of Christ, he eventually entrusted his life to God without counting the costs.
The saints hold up a mirror before us. In this mirror, we can see ourselves at our best. Our capabilities can be seen. All we need is the will to be like them, to follow them. Celebrating the lives of the saints means we acknowledge the paths they trod and, we, like them, are ready to entrust our lives to God.
Peace and joy,
Fr. Don Everts
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