"We are God's masterpieces
His works of art."
This is the good news from St. Paul. Great paintings and stained glass windows will indeed help us to remember and to pray. But do we fail to see beauty and holiness before our eyes as we go our daily round?
The phrase "taking things for granted" is all too familiar and always sad. When we pray "Thou O Lord will open my lips!" we could well utter another cry from the heart, "Open wide my eyes!" How sad that, with our estranged faces, we miss so often, "the many splendoured thing". We are grateful for our saints from Peter, Paul and Agnes in distant days to Therese of Lisieux, Frederic Ozanam, Edmund Rice, Mother Teresa and the many faithful ones who shared our problems and our pain.
When we talk of saints what language do we speak? Saint Paul calmly tells us we are all called to be saints. Sanity consists in seeing what is really there, walking free from dark delusions. Sanctity is the shaping of our daily lives in a reality that makes us fully human. Why are we here? Whither do we go? On this happy feast we stand before the gateway of another winter and look at the map of life. In the shining light of God's truth, our empty values are stripped of all deceptive powers. The Saints will help our vision and clarify our thought. They are the ones, who by God's fostering mercy, reached ultimate success, breaking free from selfishness and sham. They are the most human of us all. They take us by the hand and guide us gently on our way.
We think of Charlie, headmaster, friend, priest, keen athlete and expert coach. Honourable and straight in all his dealings, demanding in ideals but always merciful to others. He was seen as a man of Scripture and of prayer. He made sense of what could be shop-soiled slogans. His memory is still a light shining.
Rose and Madge and Maura were wives and mothers of constant generosity, understanding and love. They always had time to listen and, in difficult times, enough to share. Neighbours could call on them, confide in them and rely on intelligent understanding. Never was a confidence betrayed. In their households, prayer and sharing and Sacrament were as daily bread, a normal source of healing, vitality and strength. They rarely talked religion. They radiated truth. They passed to their children what was beautiful and good and true. What legacy will we hand on?
We remember, with gratitude and joy, doctors, nurses, teachers and Religious Sisters and Brothers who helped us on our way. They brought light in darkness, strength in weakness and new courage when hope was ebbing fast away. Faith for them was real. Prayer was the breathing of the Spirit and sacred traditions were never empty slogans but living ideals to cherish and transmit, a currency never to devalue or to fail.
Our prayer today is "as we cele- brate, let us imitate"! One of the greatest Blessings of God is the protecting radiance of those faithful ones. On this holy day of joy we lift up our hearts. With our Saints to inspire us, we go forward in hope.