“The saints are the sinners who keep on going.” ~ Robert Louis Stevenson
On Monday and Tuesday of this week, we celebrate two feasts that have great meaning to many of us. They are the feasts of All Saints and All Souls. On Monday, we celebrate All Saints Day. “The saints are the sinners who keep on going,” Stevenson writes. I think that is a very accurate description of the saints.
We all know that it can be difficult to follow the Lord. There are many temptations that come to us along the way and too many opportunities to stray from the path. We need to keep going in our daily lives. That can only be accomplished if we persist in prayer, good works, and the celebration of the sacraments.
A saint is not someone who glides by effortlessly. A saint, instead, is one who sees himself or herself as he or she truly is, a sinner in need of God’s grace. What makes those people saints is the recognition that they are sinners and the desire to do all that they can to rise above their sinfulness and embrace the love and mercy of God.
It is not an easy thing to do. We seem to be more comfortable in our sinfulness than in reaching out to God. We may not like it; but, our sin seems to fit us like a glove. We have to learn to shuck sinfulness from our daily lives and put on, instead, the clothing of God. When we do that, we live as saints.
Yes, saints are sinners who keep on going. Every soul admitted to heaven is a saint. We are all saints in the making as long as we keep that eternal goal in mind and in sight.
On Tuesday, we celebrate All Souls Day. That is the day that we remember all our loved ones who have gone before us. They, saints in the making, have been called from this life and we pray that they are granted eternal life with God. We pray for the repose of the souls of all the faithful departed, especially those who may no longer have anyone to remember them and pray for them.
Our prayer helps us as well since it reminds us of the need to prepare for the day that we are called by God. We know that we are on this earth for a short time and that we must do everything possible to be ready for God’s call. We do that best by a regular prayer life that builds our relationship with God. We also prepare by performing the corporal and spiritual works of mercy. Finally, we prepare by celebrating the sacraments as often as possible. Our future is not on this earth. Our future is the Kingdom of God. Keep on going. Persist in your faith.
FAITH ACTION: Pray for the souls of the faithful departed and pray, as well, that you may be prepared for the day that the Lord calls you to Himself.