HEAVEN’S GALA PERFORMANCE Today is the joyful day for heaven’s “gala performance,” the Solemnity of All Saints. While most canonized saints have a designated date in the calendar for their memorials or feasts, November 1 is the day for all of them, including the “lower-case” or the “unknown” saints. They are those who, perhaps, had never gone through the tedious processes of beatification and canonization but nevertheless led exemplary, holy, inspiring or heroic lives here on earth. And they are now enjoying the beatitude of heaven, the vision of God, in His company. Perhaps for each of the Eight Beatitudes we read in our Gospel today, there are “representative” saints which easily come to our minds. Or it may be that we grew up with the saints. Or maybe each of us can draw up a list of our own favorite saints (“Top Ten Saints to Invoke When You’re Desperate,” or something like that). Or the trivia we have about saints can probably fill up several books or web pages. Or, finally, almost every profession or human activity has its own patron saint. (I know of somebody who would even pray to a particularly “effective” saint when looking for a parking space!) But more than just saints invading popular culture (which isn’t an entirely bad thing, anyway), there is a greater or deeper significance to them in terms of our faith. For one thing, the call to holiness or sanctification is truly something for all, regardless of gender, state of life, ethnicity or whatever. That’s perhaps why there are so many saints, of various hues and colors, so as to show and prove to us that no one is exempt from the call to sanctity. The saints have simply shown us how it’s done. “Oh, when the saints go marching in... I wanna be with their number,” so goes the good old rousing song. Why can’t we be saints as well? The thought need not be that farfetched. Take your pick: there are a lot to choose from to inspire us. ~ Fr. Martin Macasaet, SDB, from Sabbath REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Who are your favorite saints? What is it in their lives that inspire you to imitate them? Thank You, Lord, for giving us the saint who showed us that it is indeed possible to live saintly lives in this world.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Nov 2013 02:05:16 +0000
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