All Saints' Day

The Catholic Church celebrates All Saints' Day on November 1. On this day, we give the saints special veneration in recognition of the virtuous lives that they lived while still on earth. Because saints have been called to share in God's divine life, we may ask for their intercession.

Our celebration of  All Saints' Day reminds us that saints are our brothers and sisters in the family of God. It also reminds us that we, too can live saintly by being prayerful, doing things cheerfully, and doing kind deeds, especially for the less fortunate.

"Give thanks to the Father for making you worthy to share the inheritance of the saints in light." Colossians1:12

You might also be interested in...

• Roman Catholic Church Has 3 New Saints
• The Obedient Carpenter
• Mother Teresa

 

 

 

Roman Catholic Church Has 3 New Saints

The saints are members of God's family who do not only follow Jesus, but also teach others how to follow Him. Sainthood is the proof of one's love for God and neighbor.

Pope Benedict XVI named three new saints for the Catholic Church during a canonization Mass on October 23, 2011 in St. Peter's Square at Vatican City, Rome. The ceremony took place on World Mission Day. The 19th century founders of religious orders who were canonized during the two-hour service:

1. Saint Guido Maria Conforti (1865-1931), an Italian Archbishop and Missionary. He was born in Parma, Italy, founded in 1985 the Pious Society of Saint Francis Xavier for Foreign Missions, a congregation of missionaries to honor the Apostle of the East, St Francis Xavier.

2. Saint Luigi Guanella (1842-1915), an Italian priest, born in the the province of Como, Italy. He founded the Daughters of St. Mary of Providence in 1881 and Servants of Charity in 1908, dedicated to the care and education of the disabled, mentally handicapped, and abandoned children.

3. Saint Bonifacia Rodriguez de Castro (1837-1905), a Spanish religious, born in Salamanca, Spain founded the Congregation of the Servants of St. Joseph, that provided work to poor unemployed women.

The Holy Father described the three as a "model for all believers." May their unconditional love of God,  sacrifices, compassion, charity, and works of sanctification through which they molded their entire lives, inspire each and everyone of us. May their prayers and example help us to follow  Jesus more faithfully.

The Obedient Carpenter

St. Joseph was a carpenter. The villagers of Nazareth saw only a man who made his living from the carpentry needs of a small and humble place. A poor man. Not the kind of man to produce a rabbi of such skill and power as Jesus turned out to be.


There are many saints and many stories, but most standout model of a man who denied himself, took up his cross and follow God was Joseph. When the angel appeared to him in a dream and spoke about Mary being with child, he never questioned Mary or rebuked her. Instead, he very quietly gave her his support, moved to another town and lived peacefully with her, waiting for Jesus to be born. His life is exemplary, the icon of a man denying himself to follow God.

The Gospel says, "Isn't He JUST the carpenter's son?" . But the Gospel itself did not say much about Joseph, beyond the events surrounding Christ's birth. It's as if he was rendered nearly invisible. But God saw between the lines. In Joseph, He saw a man of simple faith, obedient to His word. Skilled with his hands, righteous and compassionate. A man who created things for others to use and enjoy. A man worthy to be entrusted with the fostering of His only Son.

Image courtesy of thecatholicspirit.com

Mother Teresa

In 1928, a young Yugoslavian lady named Agnes Bojaxhiu entered a religious order and took the name Teresa. She became known as Mother Teresa, dedicating her life to helping the poorest of the poor, and gaining the title "The Living Saint."

Mother Teresa was only 12  when she sensed a desire to become a nun. At 18, she left her home in Skopje, Yugoslavia and went to Calcutta, India where she was called to serve among the poorest of the poor.

Image courtesy of thesplendorofthechurch.blogspot.com

She founded an order of nuns called the Missionaries of Charity, dedicated to serving the poor. In 1952, she founded a home for the dying in Calcutta. It didn't matter whether people were dying of AIDS or leprosy in the streets. She wanted to be able to die  in peace and with dignity. Nor did she try to convert them; anybody, regardless of race or religion, was welcome. Her devotion towards the poor won her respect throughout the world and the Nobel Peace Prize in 1979.

On September 5, 1997, Mother Teresa died at age 87. She may be dead, but her legacy remains: her love for the poor. By seeing the face of Jesus in the faces and emaciated bodies of the sick and the poor. Mother Teressa left an indelible stamp in the hearts of people with a mission.


True values are in the heart and not in material possessions and external appearances. God has a special place in His Kingdom for those who are poor in spirit and those who are sorrowing. 


People who are humble and who care for the needy and sorrowful are blessed and given grace.

Mother Teresa with Blessed Pope John Paul II (Image courtesy of picasaweb.google.com)