“To all those in Rome who are loved by God and called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ”  Romans 1:7 ESV

Recently, an attorney asked me who was the patron saint of lawyers.  The answer is Sir Thomas More, a literary scholar, lawyer and a “man for all seasons.” He is the patron saint of lawyers, judges, statesmen, and public officials.  (Some might argue that the terms “saint” and “public official” should not be used in the same sentence and St. Raymond of Penafort and St. Yves of Kermartin are also considered the patron saints of lawyers but those are stories for another time).  Although Thomas More served as Chancellor under Henry VIII in England, ironically, he was beheaded for his belief that no lay ruler, i.e., the king, has jurisdiction over the Church of Christ.  Thus, the Catholic Church reveres him as a saint, while many Anglicans do not.

According to the Catholic Church, saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God's invitation to use his or her unique gifts. A patron saint is someone who is believed to give special help to a particular place, activity, person, or type of object. Did you know that there is a patron saint for hangovers (St. Bibiana),  alcoholics (St. Monica), and ugly people (St. Drogo). Even the Internet has a patron saint, St. Isidore, appointed by Pope John Paul II.

But those we recognize as extraordinary in the Church are not the only saints. God calls each of us to be saints.  In fact, Jesus said that we are to “be perfect, even as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). That is not a calling to flawlessness, but rather toward the completeness of God's love, including the love of our enemies. Paul often referred to those to whom he wrote in the early churches as “saints.” 

We certainly need these heavenly models of holiness, but we also need earthly models of holiness, too, people with whom we can identify. There is a wonderful hymn entitled, “I Sing a Song of the Saints of God.” It was written in the 1920’s by an English mother, Lesbia Scott, at the request of her children (See text below. #293 in our hymnal).  Perhaps you have fond memories of singing it as a child. Notice who is considered a saint.

Saints are all around us, women and men whose generous spirit reflects the Gospel call to love and serve God and others. Some do it by making the ordinary holy through a spirit of simplicity and humility. Others do it by showing extraordinary courage in sickness and adversity. Still others do it by railing against injustice and working to bring equality and dignity to all (Mother Teresa immediately comes to my mind).

Have trouble thinking of yourself as a saint? You are certainly not alone. How many times have we said of someone, “He’s no saint?” Once in a previous parish on All Saints Sunday, I placed nametags near the entrance to the church with instructions for everyone to write their name with a marker, then peel off the back and stick it to their clothing. These were the “Hello, My name is…” type with a small modification.  Each one said, “Hello, I’m Saint…”  As you can imagine, some folks had a difficult time considering themselves as saints.  Just about as many had trouble seeing some of their neighbors as saints.  After much coaxing, everyone eventually put on their “Saint” badge.  Then an amazing thing happened.  As people began to see one another’s badges, they started smiling more and even being kinder to one another.  Imagine that.

This Sunday is All Saints Day. Between now and then, why not try looking at those you meet (Yes, even those who cut you off on the freeway or cut in front of you in line) as saints of God?  Not only will you begin to see them differently, you may also see a change in yourself—for the better! And remember that it is not so much that we see ourselves as “saintly” as it is that we belong to God.  As His children, we, are called to holiness and can learn to recognize God's image and love in people we might otherwise overlook or dismiss. That is a beautiful message for All Saints' Day—and every day.

Prayer:  Gracious and loving God, we give you thanks that we can all be considered saints in Your Kingdom.  Help us to see the good in others and in ourselves, that we might become more like You each day.  Amen.

Blessings,

Steve+