Homily for the Solemnity of All Saints

Greetings to all you saints!

“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.”
(1 John 3:2)

We honor the saints with special festive joy not so much because they need the prayers, but because we need their intercession and inspiration. One of the most consoling articles of our Creed is our belief in the “communion of saints.” Other Christians sometimes mock or question the array of statues in our Churches and the various devotions that characterize our Catholic traditions. Someone responded to an inquiry about these with asking the person: “Do you have photographs and other memorabilia of your ancestors in your home?” These “holy ones” are our friends and we assert that death does not destroy the ties that bind us. There are far more “saints” than those who have been officially recognized or “canonized.” The “First Letter of John” quoted above reminds us of our common call to holiness when at baptism we were cleansed and anointed to share in the priestly, prophetic, and governing offices of Christ. Often participation in the life of Christ requires going out of one’s comfort zone – even to the point of risking death. Thus, the reading for today from the “Book of Revelation” has that curious phrase about the holy ones whose white robes are washed in the blood of the Lamb. The formula for holiness is summarized succinctly in the Beatitudes. One who lives these truly lives a counter-cultural life! We need the witness of one another and of our friends who have gone before us and who intercede on our behalf. It may sound strange, even, spooky, but these “saints” are far more “present” than we realize!

Happy Feast,
Fr. Bill Foley