The Church marks the beginning of November with the solemn celebration of All Saints, the holy men and women who led an extraordinary life of faith and love. They have gone before us leaving us an exemplary model to follow. The commemoration of the Faithful departed on the following day, the 2nd November, reminds us that these are also Saints who need our prayers, they could be our ancestors, grandparents, parents…. November is also dedicated to remembering the Holy Souls.
Saints are also known as holy people. ‘Holy’ means being set apart by God and for God. Anything belongs to God is holy. We the baptised are holy, not because of our merits or what we have done to earn it, but it is because by the grace of baptism through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are consecrated and belong to God, therefore we are holy. Saint Paul already refers to the early Christians as ‘faithful saints in Christ’ (Eph 1:1) The Church is the Body of Christ, it is therefore holy, while its institution and members remain sinful. Holiness is the fruit of God’s grace and His Spirit, not of human effort though this effort is necessary.
The belief in the communion of Saints is a beautiful expression of Christian faith. The Saints of God, alive or have gone before, pray for one another. We believe in the power of the intercession of the Saints. In the Eucharistic prayer used during Mass, the community of the faithful prays for the whole church, for the world, for the alive and the deceased; we invokes not only the Trinity but also the names of Saints: Mary, Joseph, patron saints, the martyrs, the apostles…”who are pleasing to you throughout the ages”.
Holiness is a universal call. We may choose different paths of life, each has its uniqueness, but we all share the same call, namely the call to life of holiness. We are called to be holy because God is holy. Saints are not too far from us, they are ordinary people who display extraordinary love in whatever they do, and their lives are always God-centred. There are accomplished Saints in heaven, we are Saints on our way, with God’s grace and His Spirit.