"For centuries the church has confronted the human community
with role models of greatness. We call them saints when what we really often
mean to say is "icon," "star," "hero," ones so
possessed by an internal vision of divine goodness that they give us a glimpse
of the face of God in the center of the human. They give us a taste of the
possibilities of greatness in ourselves. What qualities will be necessary to
live a life of integrity, of holiness, in the twenty-first century? What models
of those values, if any, have been raised up to show us the way to God in a
world that is more preoccupied with the material than with the spiritual, more
self-centered than selfless, more concerned with the mundane than with the
divine, more parochial than cosmic? (They) are male and female, Christian and
non-Christian, married and unmarried, religious and lay, pragmatists and
artists, named saint by a process or proclaimed saint by the people who lived in
the shadow of their lives. They are people like you and me. With one exception,
perhaps. In their eyes burn the eyes of a God who sees injustice and decries
it, sees poverty and condemns it, sees inequality and refuses it, sees wrong
and demands that it be set right. These are people for whom the Law above the
law is first in their lives. These are people who did not temporize with the
evil in one system just because another system could have been worse. These are
people who saw themselves clearly as the others' keepers. These are people who
gave themselves entirely to the impulses of God for the sake of the
world." ~ Sister Joan Chittister, Roman Catholic nun and former Prioress
of the Benedictine Sisters of Erie, PA, an activist, author and speaker on a variety
of subjects such as spirituality, religious life, peace, and justice among
others. The excerpt is from: "A Passion for Life: Fragments of the
Face of God", Orbis, Maryknoll, NY, 1996
It seems to me that it matters not if one is an official Saint. Yet there are certainly exemplary qualities of those who are official as well as those who are not, but they stand out, as Sr. Joan says, because: they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the human. It is an attitude for us to acquire in our quest for eternal life. An attitude of being a child of God, and knowing that the full presence of God, Christ, and the Holy Spirit are within us always, ready to be shining through us, for our neighbors and for ourselves. In the Gospel for this week, the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches those present that often those who might be considered the least of us are especially blessed. It opens up a way of living for us to contemplate, a pathway of living intentionally into the blessings of God. As we look into one or more of the ideals of the Beatitudes, we may just discover new prayerful habits, conscious acts in all we say and do, our own personal BE Attitudes to take us through each day accompanied by that ever-growing Communion of Saints and saints until we, too, join the Heavenly Chorus.
LET US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, as we celebrate the
Holy Saints of the Ages, we also commend to You the everyday saints still
living among us. Grant us the wisdom to follow the examples set for us, to seek
a saintly heart within our own flawed humanness, and to discover our blessed
place in the Beatitudes of Christ.
Revive our hope in You
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, in these
especially critical times, infuse us with continuing courage and strength to impel
the leaders of our Community, our Country, and our World to reverse injustice,
renounce evil, and encourage mercy, peace, and honor within themselves and in
us all. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Revive our hope in You
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, release from distress and wipe away the tears of all
whose spirits languish in serious illness, anxiety, and hopelessness, and endow
those who give them care with energy, patience, and love. We now
join our hearts together to pray for those in need…
Boundless, Forgiving God
Revive our hope in You
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, our hearts rejoice for those who have gone ahead, guided
to the springs of the water of new life by and in Christ. We pray
especially for…
Revive our hope in You
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we pause in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions, petitions, and memorials… add your own petitions
Boundless, Forgiving God
Revive our hope in You
~ Lord of All Saints and All Sinners, we offer You our praise and thanksgiving for all who have humbly accepted Your call to shepherd us toward Salvation in Christ. Guide their steps as our faithful role models, that together we may taste and see Your goodness in our lives. We pray especially for: add your own petitions
Revive our hope in You
The Celebrant adds: Loving, Merciful God, open the eyes of our souls to see that our unique gifts from You together with our mortal failings may all be used for Your eternal purpose. Rebuild our hearts with humility and peace, worthy to answer the call of the blessed life for which we were created. We ask through Jesus, our Redeemer, and in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, who live and reign together with You, as One God above all, through all, and in all, for ever and ever. Amen