Called To Be Saints

Mt 5: 1-12a

The Beatitudes

5 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. ² Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
For they shall obtain mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
For they shall see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
For they shall be called sons of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. ¹² Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

As we read this passage on the Solemnity of All Saints we see the template for sanctity laid out plainly before us, and find encouragement in its simplicity and practicality. Sanctity is not "pie in the sky" impossibility" but a doable way of living that demands eyes to see and a heart to implement.  While honoring all the saints who have done this, we are also opening ourselves to the call, the vocation, to be saints ourselves.  We have the good fortune of living as contemporaries of saints such as Mother Teresa and Pope John Paul II whose lives and deeds are very familiar to us. We can look at them to see how it's done, through simple deeds done with extraordinary love, and go and do likewise.

Bro.Rene