Today the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints and reminds us that our destination is heaven.
In the Gospel, Jesus presents us with the identity card of Christians: the Beatitudes, the path to holiness. It is the way of love, the way He himself walked by becoming man. God offers us holiness; He does not impose it upon us. He awaits our free response.
In his Angelus of 1 November 2024, Pope Francis described holiness as both a gift and a journey.
A gift
The saints and we begin from the same starting point: baptism. We all know someone who is holy — the “saints next door”. Just as a gift brings us joy because someone loves us, so holiness is God’s gift because He wants us to be happy.
A journey
We do not walk alone: the saints are sincere friends in whom we can place our trust. In their lives we find examples, and in their prayers, help. Saint Mary Magdalene also invites us to follow this path, sanctifying every aspect of our lives and living charity each day.
For reflection
Holiness is lived out in everyday life: in patience, in work done well, in quiet service, and in the forgiveness we offer first. The saints were real people, with limitations and failings, but they chose to trust.
Who is a “saint next door” for me?
What small act of love can I offer this week?
Prayer
Lord, thank you for the gift of holiness. Help me to take the first step, today, where I am. Mary, Queen of All Saints, increase in us the desire for holiness. Amen.