ALL SAINTS (SOLEMNITY)

I had a vision of a great multitude. 

Are you ready to make a new heavenly friend?

Today, when we celebrate all the saints, you can choose from myriads. God’s friends are as diverse as his creativity. A man or a woman. A young child or someone who lived a hundred years. One who lived alone in the desert or one who raised a large family. A talented musician, an uneducated laborer, an entrepreneur, or someone who never left his sickbed. One who seemed to follow a straight path, or one who tried every form of sin before finding her true purpose.

How do you go about making such a friend? Begin by reading about the life of this saint. See if you can find something they have written. Ask the Holy Spirit to help you understand and apply their wisdom to your own situation. Notice the way the saint conformed their life to Jesus and followed him, and let them teach you to do the same.

Then open your heart in prayer and share with this saint about your own journey. Ask your new friend to rejoice with you about the good things and console you and intercede for you about the tough ones. Every time you encounter a new challenge in the course of your day, send up a quick “Pray for me.”

As you learn more about your saint, you may be inspired by their holiness. You may begin to see how God wants you to grow. That’s what the saints do: they inspire a desire for greater holiness and spur us on to know the Lord.

God is calling you to occupy a unique place of your own in this company of the holy ones. What’s more, he’s empowering you to manifest his love in a way no one else can. And the saints are cheering you on; they’re all ready to be your companions on your journey.

What wonderful company you’ve been invited to keep!

“All you holy men and women, pray for us!”

Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
Psalm 24:1-6
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12