Next Saturday, November 1st, we celebrate All Saints Day. It is not a Holy Day of Obligation this year, but it is still a day in which we remember in a very special way the many saints who came before us, holy men and women marked with the sign of faith. They set such good examples for us, and we can strive to model our behavior after them and follow their holy way of life.
The saints were not perfect, but they made great spiritual progress. Many of them taught the faith, such as the great Doctors of the Church, men such as Thomas Aquinas, and women such as Teresa of Avila. Many were martyred for the faith such as Perpetua and Felicity and Maximilian Kolbe. Other saints such as Vincent de Paul and Francis of Assisi and Teresa of Calcutta lived is solidarity with poor, the sick, and the outcast. Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton, the first American born saint, lived out the joys and challenges of motherhood as she struggled to raise five children in difficult and uncertain times. And Carlo Acutis, our most recent canonized saint, made great spiritual use of information technology.
As we reflect on the example of these saints, it is fair to say that many Americans, including Catholics, spend much time reading about celebrities. Our culture seems to be enamored with singers and actors and ballplayers and other celebrities. We read about them, and follow their careers, and we talk about their activities. However, most of us would have to admit that we do not spend much time reading or talking about our saints who came before us.
We are challenged to learn from our saints, and to learn more about them. Many of them were ordinary people who were guided by the Lord to do extraordinary things. We are encouraged to seek their intercession as we pray for wisdom and guidance, and as we continue on our journey of faith.
And so, as we celebrate All Saints Day, we strive to continue to answer our call to discipleship and follow the way of the Lord. We hope to one day join with the saints in the Kingdom of God, where we will see Our Lord face to face, and share in His eternal peace. Therefore, we are privileged to proclaim –
Saints in heaven, intercede for us. Saints in heaven, pray for us.