November 1, 2010 at Saint Mark in Norman, OK
About five days ago, I received an email from someone in another parish where I had served. I was not surprised because Janie sends an email on or near All Saints Day every year, and she has done so every year since the mid 70s. She says, as she does every year, that she can never celebrate All Saints every year without the memory of a question I asked the children at Mass what you had to do to become a saint. Now, I’ve learned since then never to ask a rhetorical question in a homily especially with children present unless you want someone to answer. I learned quickly not to do that. As soon as my mouth was closed, up went a hand and without any acknowledgement from me, a little voice said quite loudly: “You have to be dead!” I should have sat down right then and there. I have learned a lot since then, and you notice that there are no children around this altar today. I have also learned a lot about the Word of God.
What I am going to do today without asking any questions is invite you to discover something that I have grown more and more aware of as I live in the presence of God. It is this: you do not have to be dead to be a saint. The kid had it wrong. What you can do to grow in holiness and grow more saintly is to live these Beatitudes that Matthew leaves us in this fifth chapter. There in just twelve verses is the whole plan of sanctity, and nowhere in the whole list is, “Blessed are the dead.”
Poor in Spirit are the holy. These are the ones not possessed by their possessions. Their hearts and their lives are free to give, to serve, and care for others. They put their trust in God knowing that things mean nothing and God means everything. Loving and committed are the holy. Only people who have loved can mourn. While mourning is not something we seek, it is a sign that we have loved and that something has been taken or is lost. This mourning while not a good thing is a sign of that loving commitment. People who have never loved who have never found themselves in a loving relationship, they know nothing of mourning. They just drift from one shallow relationship to another. While it is right to be detached from things, it is not right to be detached from people.
Meek and Holy are the Saints. These are people who bless our lives with kindness, compassion and patience. The Meek are filled with respect for themselves and others. Righteous are the holy they are good and good to around. They judge no one but themselves. They find goodness in everyone. Merciful are the holy. They understand others and they know what pain and suffering is like because they live for others not just for themselves. They are born in the image of a God who is merciful and in their presence we know a merciful God. The holy are clean of heart. They mean what they say, and they say what they mean. What you see is what you get. There are no hidden motives in people like these. They are just clean of heart. And, Saints make peace. They are never trouble makers. They are peace makers, and the world is better because they are here. They live without bitterness.
You see, it’s all there, simple, clear and direct. Your vocation to becoming a saint is right there in the twelfth chapter of Matthew’s Gospel. It’s the way to holiness, and when we live it there will be joy and gladness. All Saints Day will be our day, and you know what? You won’t have to be dead.