We are all called to be saints, to walk a path to grow in holiness, to try each day to do a little better, to be a little kinder, to act with compassion and love. And yet, all around there are signs of depraved human behavior and the effects of original sin. It's hard to act saint-like, to act like Jesus, to be the best version of ourselves and yet that is what our faith calls us to be.
I talk with friends, whose adult children are disrespectful, they tell me, "you have to watch what you say", "walk on egg shells" or they don't call or treat you respectfully. So much has changed. One of the Ten Commandments is "Honor your mother and father." What's happened to that? And yet in the midst of problems that families face, societal problems and tragic world events, we are called to keep focused on Christ, to keep faithful and to trust in God. Without faith in God, nothing makes sense. Without trust in God, life is difficult and unmanageable.
So another All Saint's Day is upon us. A day to dwell on the lives of the superheroes of our faith. Men and women from all walks of life, who put flesh and blood on the Christian way of life and succeeded against all odds, to become great men and women of faith and example. I hope they are praying for us.
NJA
