Called to Sainthood

Feast of All Saints

This Sunday, the second reading will be from 1 John 3:1-3. I’d also strongly recommend that you read the other readings for today. It’s Lectionary #667, if you’re reading from a hard copy.

We are the children of God - not just figuratively, but literally - because the Father has loved us. Note that the second reading says both that we are called the children of God and that we are the children of God.
We who are children of God, should reflect his face to the world, but because of our fallen human condition, we are dirty mirrors. It limits our capacity to do this. When we are able to see him clearly, we will reflect him perfectly.

Contrary to what we may believe, reflecting God is not the task a few extraordinary people. All Christians are called to Sainthood, but not all are called in the same way. Not all are called to lay down their lives for another, not all are called to monastic life. No, some will be called to sainthood in their wholly ordinary lives.

It is easy to think of sainthood as something that only special people should strive for, but that isn’t the way it’s supposed to be. Everyone who is called to be a child of God in Christ is expected to strive for sainthood.

As we can know from St. Therese’s Little Way, it is not necessary to do great things to be a Saint, only that we do ordinary things with great love.

In the Beatitudes, Christ gives us a roadmap to this kind of little holiness, both in how to be, and what the destination is. Where are our strong points in this? Where do we have room to grow?



Let’s Pray:

Father in heaven,
You gave us examples in the saints to show us how to follow your will for our lives. Grant that we may embrace your holy will for us with our whole hearts, and help us to support our brothers and sisters in Christ, that we may all walk together in progressing toward the universal call to sainthood.

Amen