This Sunday, we celebrate the great SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS. At every Mass, not only on All Saints Day, we pray with all the Saints in Heaven. All SAINTS are an integral part of the CHURCH. While Jesus is the Head of the Church, the Saints in Heaven and all the baptized Catholics living on earth constitute the BODY OF THE CHURCH. As all the baptized are CALLED TO BE SAINTS, we can say that our Church is a CHURCH OF SAINTS, Saints in Heaven, and all potential Saints on Earth.

Anyone entering Heaven becomes a saint (with a small s). To enter Heaven forever, we do not need to be recognized/canonized by the Church as a Saint, with a Capital S (e.g. St John Paul II, St John XXIII or St Teresa of Calcutta). To be in Heaven is to be with God. God is present at each Mass; Jesus, who is both God and the Son of God, is fully present in the Eucharist, the Body of Christ. MASS IS HEAVEN ON EARTH, the Saints in Heaven are present not only at ALL SAINTS MASS, but at every Mass. I recall as a seminarian on retreat at Omaha (Institute of Priestly Formation) having a vision of St Teresa of Calcutta right at the moment of receiving the Eucharist. She was standing next to me, and also receiving the Body of Christ at the same time as I did. Yes, each of us has a guardian angel, invisible but always at our side. But also, each of us can feel the presence of some Saints at our side, including the Virgin Mary, the greatest and purest Saints of all times.

IS YOUR GREATEST DESIRE TO BECOME A SAINT? Think about it. Do you desire to go to Heaven? If you indeed desire to go to Heaven, that is to be with God forever and ever, do you desire to put God at the center of your life right now while on earth? In our current secular environment, more and more people find it difficult to put even just one hour aside and come to Mass every weekend. Can you go beyond spending one hour a week with God? Can you pray 20 minutes every day? Can you go to daily Mass? Can you go to Confession regularly and receive the Eucharist in a state of grace (without committing a major sin, a sacrilege)?

All the readings this week can guide us on HOW TO BECOME A SAINT. The final statement of the Beatitudes (Matthew 5:12) gives us HOPE, “Rejoice and Be glad, for your reward will be great in HEAVEN." We will be rewarded, we will be BLESSED if we are "poor in spirit, if we mourn, if we are meek, if we hunger and thirst for righteousness, if we are merciful, if we are clean of heart, if we are peacemakers, if we are insulted and persecuted because of our Faith in Jesus."

All these "attitudes" recommended by Jesus were counter-cultural when Jesus taught them 2,000 years ago and they are still counter-cultural today. Only our Lord Jesus Christ can display all these attitudes consistently. Jesus wants us, his disciples, to be as HOLY AS HE. HE wants us to strive for HOLINESS. HE will help us, if indeed, if we have the desire to be HOLY, to be a saint. HE has given us many SAINTS to learn from their example and IMITATE THEM.

TO STRIVE FOR HOLINESS, I invite everyone to pray to God through the intercession of one of your favorite saints. Do you remember the Patron Saint you chose at your Confirmation? If you are not sure through whom to pray, just take one of the following saints, and search for some of their most famous quotes on the Internet: St Augustine, St Monica, St Francis of Assisi, St Dominic, St Teresa of Avila, St John Vianney, St Therese of Lisieux (Little Flower), Padre Pio, St John Paul II, St Teresa of Calcutta, St John XXIII... Then, meditate on one or two quotes of the Saint you have chosen, and pray in silence for one hour in front of the Blessed Sacrament, listen to God!

In this week's first reading (Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14), St John has a vision of Heaven. The good news is that he sees "a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue. They cried out in a loud voice, "SALVATION COMES FROM OUR GOD, who is seated on the throne AND FROM THE LAMB." God wants everyone, not only the chosen people of Israel, to join HIM in HEAVEN. HE LOVES ALL OF US so much that HE sends HIS ONLY SON, our Lord Jesus Christ, the LAMB, to die for our sins on the Cross, so "that we may be called the CHILDREN OF GOD" (First Letter of John 3:1-3). It is through the Blood of the Lamb that our sins are washed away.

As we all face challenges and difficulties in our daily lives, let us pray that we can accept our sufferings, our daily crosses and understand that our crosses are not a punishment from God. Our crosses, when accepted, unite us with Jesus and transform us. Blessed are those who suffer with Christ, they will be comforted right here right now on earth. THEY ARE THE FUTURE SAINTS! They can REJOICE AND BE GLAD! THEIR REWARD WILL BE GREAT IN HEAVEN! THEY TRULY BELONG TO THE CHURCH OF THE SAINTS!

Heavenly Father, may you help all of us to keep in our hearts the desire to imitate the examples of your son Jesus, of HIS mother Mary, and of all the Saints who have preceded us in Heaven!

One in Christ,

Fr. Alain