All Saints Day

ONE

Today, November 1 First, we celebrate all the Saints in Heaven…

As the book of Revelation tells us; “a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues.”

Why do we celebrate this feast? I love what St. Bernard of Clairvaux says; “I tell you, when I think of them, I feel myself inflamed by a tremendous yearning.”

This is the purpose of All Saints Day, says Pope Benedict, “to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God’s friends. Being a saint means living close to God, to live in his family. And this is the vocation of us all…”

But how can we become holy friends of God?

First let me remind you of reality. You are already a very close friend of God! God the Father, Son and Holy Spirit dwell in your soul. He likes you so much that He lives within you.

So, stop with the idea that maybe if you get worthy, someday you will be God’s friend. Our goal is not to one day become worthy of being a friend of God. We already are. And the goal of our life is not intimacy with Christ. We already have intimacy with Him.

Instead let’s begin right now with the fact that we are an intimate friend of God. He loves me. He thinks I am unimaginably valuable.

Let us begin right now to live from intimacy with Jesus as the basis of our whole life.

I am an intimate friend of God. How does that change the way I look at life?

TWO

If God does consider me a close intimate friend, then I want to spend time with Him.

That is prayer. Teresa of Avila says as much. Prayer, she says, is nothing more than spending time with Him who we know loves us.

Then if we want to live as a friend of God simply fulfill the responsibilities of our state in life by doing them for the love of God and doing them the best that we can.

Mistakenly, Christians think they have to be doing “spiritual” or “Christian” things to be serving God. That prayer, evangelization and caring for the poor are Christian activities and the rest are secular or worldly things. This is not so. The first way we serve God and become Saints is living our ordinary lives for the love of God. Go to bed on time, get up on time, spend time in prayer, go to work and do your best and don’t complain but give thanks to God for your work. Love and honor your spouse, which means anticipate their needs and take initiative to do what is best for them. Know, understand, and love your kids. Again, love is to do what is best for them physically, intellectually and most importantly spiritually. The first way to live a holy life is to live your ordinary life well and for God. If you don’t do that, the so-called Christian things you do won't matter much because your path to God is through your ordinary duties.  

THREE

If we want to live as the friends of God then we accept all that He allows.

Whatever happens that is beyond our control God permits for our benefit if we humbly accept it with trust. Surrendering or accepting what God allows does not mean defeat. It means recognizing our judgment is not the ultimate criteria for what is good for us. God knows better.

Joseph in the OT was sold into slavery by his own brothers, yet God in His Providence used this for the good of Joseph and to save the whole world from famine.

FOUR

Fourth, delight in all the good God has made, beginning with yourself. God made you; He looks at you and says, “It is good that you exist, how wonderful you are!” Contrast that with the story we too often tell ourselves or have heard from others - that we don’t measure up, that we are not good enough, we must work to earn our worth or to be loved. Have you ever said to yourself “I don’t have what it takes, so what?” You have what it takes. You were made in the image of God. Is 43:1 But now, thus says Yahweh, who created you, who formed you; “ Do not be afraid, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine.”

FIVE

Five, give thanks in all things because, as I said above, nothing can happen except what God wills or allows, and even if a thing be bad, God is so all powerful and good that he can even turn evil to our greatest benefit. We may not be able to see it now, and we are not expected to like an evil that has been done to us; but with faith and trust we can thank God ahead of time, not for the evil but that He takes the evil done and transforms it into good so that He is working all things for good for us.

1 Thess 5:16 Rejoice always, pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.