Solemnity of All Saints
- Caroline Jaros, Coordinator of Liturgy
This past Sunday, we celebrated All Saints' Day, one of my favorite feast days of the year.
Saints in the Catholic faith can be confusing to people. They aren't prophets, they aren't gods, and they certainly weren't perfect human beings. They are our intercessors, our examples, and reminders that God calls all of us to holiness.
I'd like to highlight three saints who have been especially important to me:
Saint Ignatius of Loyola: It's no surprise, given my Jesuit education (Go Ramblers!), that I have a special relationship with Saint Ignatius. He was ambitious, vain, and preoccupied with his own glory. It took a cannonball to completely change the direction of his life.
What I love about this story is that while recovering, Ignatius's sister-in-law brought him two books: The Life of Christ and The Lives of Saints. As an older sister, that story reminds me how the example and wisdom we share with our younger siblings can have extraordinary impacts. And as someone who can get caught up in my ambitions and vanity, I constantly remind myself that I am a woman for others and it's all For the Greater Glory of God (Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam).
Saint Bernadette of Lourdes: Bernadette was a young girl from a poor family, with little education, living in rural France. She was not someone the world would have considered particularly important, yet Mary chose her to deliver a message that would transform Lourdes. When I visited Lourdes, I was struck by how someone so ordinary could be chosen for something so extraordinary. Like the Mother Mary herself, Bernadette was a young woman who continued to say "yes, Lord", even when it was frightening or didn't make sense.
Saint Anthony of Padua: After the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Mother, I probably turn to Saint Anthony the most. He's best known as the patron saint of lost things. Usually, I'm rattling off, "Tony, Tony, turn around, something's lost and can't be found," searching for my phone or my Saint Clement key card.
But I've also turned to Saint Anthony when I've lost more important things: my faith, my sense of purpose, or my connection to prayer. He's a reminder that sometimes what we need help finding isn't something we can hold in our hands.
What I love about these saints is how different they were. A vain soldier, a poor young girl, and a gifted preacher. Their lives remind us that God calls all of us: sinners, the young, women, converts, doubters, and even those who don't yet believe. None of us has to be perfect to respond to His call.
This All Saints’ Day, I'd encourage you to visit the National Shrine of Saint Frances Xavier Cabrini, right down the street on Deming Place! It's an incredible way to learn about Chicago's history and the impact one person can have on our own Lincoln Park neighborhood. Let's pray for more Chicago saints, soon!
Mirabilis Deus in Sanctis Suis.
"God is wondrous in His saints."