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Called to be saints

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of All Saints Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a JAMES AGEE took the title for his Depression-era classic, Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, from a passage in the Book of Sirach (44:1). It is an ironic title, since Agee's book describes some of the poorest and least consequential people of his time—white sharecroppers in Alabama. But those who read Agee's book with care can see that it is not simply a sociological exposé but a deeply felt meditation on the "ordinary sanctity" of human life, even under the most hard-pressed circumstances. These poor folk are among those who leave no great mark in history, who have "perished as though they had never existed," and yet whose "righteous deeds" live on, if only in the memory of God (Sirach 44:9, 10). Catholics may have little difficulty naming some of the "famous men" (and women) of our past. Their names—perhaps Augustine, Francis, Teresa, Benedict, and Joan—are preserved in our churches and parochial schools, in the stained glass windows and statues that surround us, and in a hundred holy cards and medals. We praise them, but do we really know them? For most Catholics saints are legendary people from the past: miracle workers, prodigies of faith, who now smile down on us from heaven. But what do such "perfect" men and women have to do with ordinary people like us? These "official" saints are named through a long investigation of their faith and virtues, a process that requires in the end the certification of at least one miracle. This formal process of "canonization" tends to emphasize the gap between holy people and the everyday run of believers. In that sense it is fair to wonder whether the formal naming of saints helps or hinders the realization of a crucial fact: that all Christians, not just a select few, are "called" to be saints. If this seems incredible or grandiose, it is partly because of our tendency to identify the communion of saints with the very restrictive list of official or canonized saints. That official list is pretty long, but it is hardly exhaustive. Far from it. If this seems incredible or grandiose, it is partly because of our tendency to identify the communion of saints with the very restrictive list of official or canonized saints. That official list is pretty long, but it is hardly exhaustive. Far from it. When the church says that all Christians are called to be saints, it doesn't mean that each of us should live in hope of being canonized. It simply reflects the fact that in calling ourselves followers of Christ we have pledged to conform our hearts and minds to the pattern of his holiness. This holiness is not necessarily expressed in writing learned tomes, performing fantastic feats of asceticism, engaging in marathon prayer sessions, or walking on water. If we want to see the face of holiness we can recognize it in the virtues Jesus enumerated in the Beatitudes from today's gospel: Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, the peacemakers; the pure of heart . . . . These are not typically the criteria for canonization. And yet it is easy to think of holy people from our time who embody these qualities: Mother Teresa (the merciful), Dorothy Day (the peacemaker), Oscar Romero (those who hunger and thirst for righteousness). But if we reflect more deeply it is also easy to recognize people of our own acquaintance who embody these virtues, whether a teacher, a grandparent, a neighbor. It may be someone who stands out for her gentleness or forgiveness; someone who retains a spirit of joy in the midst of sorrows; someone who risks disapproval or looking foolish for taking an unpopular stand; someone whom we always count on to provide an example that is loving, brave, and true. Such people, too, represent the face of holiness in our time. It is not likely that they will be canonized. Churches will not be named in their honor. And yet they, too, are among the great parade of saints recognized on today's feast of All Saints. This feast day is an opportunity to remember all holy men and women of the past and those who walk beside us today-not only the official canonized saints, the "famous" ones, but also those whose faith and deeds were only recognized by their friends and family, and in some cases by God alone. We remember them not only to praise them but to remind ourselves of our own vocation to holiness. For each of us there is a path to holiness that lies within our own individual circumstances, that responds to the needs of our neighbors and our particular moment in history. The feast of All Saints strengthens and encourages us to create that path by walking it.

Authors Robert Ellsberg

holy day/feast Solemnity of All Saints Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12a

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The saints are in our DNA

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of All Saints Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a For more than 1,000 years peasants, saints, scholars, and even royalty have walked hundreds of miles across Spain to Santiago de Compostela, the place where legend holds that Saint James the Apostle is buried. After his martyrdom in Jerusalem his followers took the body and brought it back to Spain. It is amazing that in the Middle Ages tens of thousands of people trekked over the Pyrenees mountains and across Spain, willing to suffer the hazards of the journey to honor Saint James.Why? Some say that Charlemagne walked the trail, Ferdinand and Isabella, too, even Saint Francis of Assisi. Today more than 100,000 people travel the Camino de Santiago. Most pilgrims come in the summer but people are on the trail all year long. Why? In Ireland thousands make an annual pilgrimage to the top of Saint Patrick’s mountain. The story is that Patrick had prayed on the mountaintop for 40 days and 40 nights for the conversion of the Irish people. Since the time of Saint Patrick, there has always been a place to pray on the mountaintop. Today, people hike the mountain throughout the year, the steep incline and the rocks so slippery that some resort to their hands and knees. Yet I once saw one man who began the journey in crutches. Why? It’s part of our heritage. You could say it’s our spiritual DNA. With the risen Christ as the nucleus, we are one family. In DNA we can see traits that are passed on from parent to child, from one generation to the next. We proclaim our belief every Sunday—the communion of saints. And it all began right after the Resurrection. The earliest Christians believed that a martyr’s reward was immediate union with Jesus Christ. Saint Ignatius of Antioch expressed the desire to be a martyr so that he could have that union with Christ, and his prayers were answered: The Roman emperor Trajan condemned him to be torn apart by wild beasts in Rome. The lions devoured all but a few bones, which Christians retrieved. Today those bones are in the Church of Saint Clement in Rome. Immediately after his death, some Christians said they saw Ignatius in a vision standing before Christ and interceding for them. Saint Ignatius died in the year 107, fewer than 100 years after Christ’s death! Soon Christians recognized not only martyrs but those whose asceticism or teaching or care for the poor demonstrated the presence of Jesus Christ. Their numbers grew exponentially so that by the fifth century there was already a feast for All Saints. And throughout the centuries, towns and city streets have been named for the holy ones. Churches are dedicated to them and relics are treasured. We heard the stories as children and we pass them on to our children—DNA, so to speak. As a child I often responded to those stories by saying to myself, “Oh no, not me, I could never do that!” But then there are other stories that make saints so real, so down to earth. I love the story of Saint Teresa of Avila telling her sisters that God was not to be found only on their knees in front of the altar but also in the kitchen among the pots and pans. That’s good news for all of us! Every meal shared in love becomes a feast. But if God’s in the kitchen, maybe God’s on the soccer field, too, or in the office or the laundry. Where shall I find Christ today? My life is disaster right now! Yes, sometimes God is found in the disasters of our lives. Another Saint Ignatius, of Loyola, began his conversion while recovering from the wounds of battle. Saint Francis of Assisi stole money from his father’s business to rebuild the church at San Damiano. Oops! At first he misunderstood Christ’s message to “rebuild my church.” But bringing disaster closer to home, a friend of mine once told me that her struggle with cancer had been a gift. A gift, she said, “that just came in an ugly wrapping.” The truth is we are all pilgrims; we know not how the road turns or how the Spirit blows. But we can be certain of several things. The saints understand the slippery slopes, all the cracks and crevices, because they stumbled, too. They are not bound by time and space but held close in the love of Jesus Christ, and they will intercede for us if we only call upon them.

Authors Catherine Collins

holy day/feast Solemnity of All Saints Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 Psalm 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12a

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"Rumbling toward heaven"

Funeral, Sacrament-based, Holy Day, Holiday, Special Occasion - Sample homilies to be adapted for your use

Occasion: Solemnity of All Saints Readings: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12a Imagine a group of elementary school kids celebrating Hallowe'en (the eve of All Saints Day) by parading around the block of their school wearing false beards, robes, and crowns, some with swords, dressed not as Darth Vader, Catwoman, or Spiderman but as a motley group of saints. No wonder the "publics" (kids from the public school across the street) figured that Catholics were weird. And so perhaps they were—at the instruction of their Benedictine sister teachers in the 1950s! For those who didn't die of embarrassment, maybe getting into the costume of a saint was a clumsy but effective invitation to get into a holy person's skin, to realize that these heroines and heroes had skin and were kids once just like them, struggling to do the right thing and hold on to Jesus with both hands. There are thousands of canonized women and men on the roster, but today's celebration reaches beyond the well-known heroes to include those who deserve to be celebrated, even if we have forgotten their names. Virtually every American knows the song When the Saints Go Marching In and might even earnestly sing along, “O Lord I want to be in that number!” But it's daunting. How can I be part of that "great multitude, which no one could count from every nation, race, people, and tongue"? After all, they're saints! They've done it: forgiven their enemies, taken up their own crosses, given up their very selves. They've taken the “narrow way”—while I would rather enjoy the wide-open road with no traffic jams and no complications. How can I win a seat in Paradise? Well, a saint is a saint not by earning heaven but by God's grace. Jesus reminds us: “You cannot save yourself.” Salvation comes from God because God wishes to save, not because we’ve earned it; but we do have a part to play. A saint is a saint not by earning heaven but by God's grace. Jesus reminds us: “You cannot save yourself.” Salvation comes from God because God wishes to save, not because we’ve earned it; but we do have a part to play. In her marvelous poem The Star Market Marie Howe captures the wonder of this saving grace and acknowledges that it is sometimes difficult not only to be Christ's forgiving, compassionate, and healing self in our own world but even to recognize the loveliness and the saintliness of others around us. The speaker in the poem is doing her grocery shopping on a day when it seems as if all the other customers are broken in some way—dis-abled, un-able—and she imagines them to be like the people who crowded around Jesus in their need: “Jesus must have been a saint, I said to myself, looking for my lost car / in the parking lot later, stumbling among the people who would have / been lowered into rooms by ropes, who would have crept / out of caves or crawled from the corners of public baths on their hands / and knees begging for mercy." Calling Jesus a saint seems gently humorous, but it's also telling. There's something comfortably distant about being "Christ-like," as though we were winking and saying, “Well, I know I can't really be like Jesus because, after all, I'm only human.” But the saints are “only” human, and as such they made their way to God. Howe's poem shows her both pulling away from sad and desperate people the way many of us do, reluctant to even touch them, but then knowing that a saint is someone who doesn't shrink away but who touches, and whose touch might even heal. That is how one becomes a saint: by getting out of the way of God who pours out blessedness upon us and enables us to become a blessing to others. But if we are already blessed and God's children now—if it's not a matter of racking up gold stars by our peacemaking, our purity of heart, our meekness—then why do we struggle? Why walk that narrow way? Why take up the cross of carrying one another's burdens? Out of love for the one who has loved us first, out of a desire to see the Christ in the least of his brothers and sisters, out of a conviction that to touch the wounds of the wounded, to heal the brokenhearted, to forgive and to accept forgiveness, to wash the feet of others, to allow ourselves again and again to begin anew—all this is our thanksgiving for having been counted in the number of what, in her story Revelation, Flannery O'Connor calls that "vast horde of souls . . . rumbling toward heaven.”

Authors Father Larry Janowski O.F.M.

holy day/feast Solemnity of All Saints Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 1 John 3:1-3 Matthew 5:1-12a

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Prayers

01 Nov 2009 - Solemnity of All Saints, Cycle B

Prayer of the Faithful The universal prayer Gathered from every nation, race, people, and tongue, we offer our prayers to the God who saves us. Loving God, we long to see your face. Teach us to see your presence in ourselves and others and the world around us, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer. Loving God, through your blessings you show us your kingdom. Help us to trust you more, show mercy, and be peacemakers, and purify our intentions to do your will, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer. Loving God, you do not forget those in distress. Bring comfort and strength to those who suffer or are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for they are blessed, we pray: Lord, hear our prayer. God of beatitudes, you guide us in the ways of true happiness. Hear the prayers we make to you today and grant that they will bear fruit in your kingdom, both now and to come. This we ask in the name of your Son Jesus Christ and in the power Holy Spirit who live and reign with you forever.

Solemnity of All Saints, Cycle B

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Homily stories

02 Nov 2025 - Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls’ Day), Cycle C

Saints. Given the church’s Feast of All Saints, what do we know about them? Some of us carry a saint’s name as our given name. Perhaps it also is included with our surname. In the finest Southern Italian tradition, my four older siblings were given the names of my grandparents, which meant one brother was named after a grandmother. Being the youngest and no grandfolks left, I should have been named after my father, who himself was too far down the line to be named after his grandfather. So he conveniently got named after the saint of his birth date, Saint Rufina, a female martyr from the third century, anglicized to Ruffo and shortened to Ruff. Every time a dog barked, I’d feel I was being called. Instead, I got named Dominic after a rather unsaintly uncle. It translates to “Belonging to the Lord.” My surname “Grassi” means “the Fat One.” I am officially “The Fat One Belonging to the Lord." Oh well! There’s Saint Dominic the Preacher, founder of the the Dominicans. And Dominic Savio, who died at 14 and is patron of juvenile delinquents. He once held up a cross to stop a fight between two teens. And there's several Vietnamese Dominics martyred in the 1800s. After 77 years I can say there’s a little of all of them in me (including being the fat one). On the Feast of All Saints and the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, take time to think about who you are named after and how well you bear their legacy. Don’t have a namesake saint? There are countless to choose from. Start googling.

Authors Father Dominic Grassi

Solemnity of All Saints Feast of All Saints namesake names All Saints' Day

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