Saint Margaret Parish, Bel Air

Special Persons

I have been blessed with some special persons in my life.

I hope each one of us has been blessed in this way. Some of these special persons have motivated me to develop and use my gifts fully.

Some of them have inspired me to become a whole and holy person. I am recalling today my father and mother.

I am recalling a priest named Ray, a Sister named Rosalie, and a psychiatrist named Bob. These persons, and others, have been wisdom figures for me.

In truth, they have been saintly figures for me. I think this is why we honor saints in our Catholic tradition.

It is why we celebrate All Saints Day every November 1st. We need these special persons who bring God to us and lead us to God.

Saints as Shining Brightness

Pope Benedict gives us a wonderful image for appreciating special persons, saintly persons, and All Saints Day.

The Pope notes that the great feasts of the year are feasts of Jesus – like Christmas and Easter. He then uses the sun and the moon to show the relationship between Jesus and the saints.

Pope Benedict says that in addition to the sun, which is the image of Christ, there is the moon. The moon has no light of its own but shines with a brightness that comes from the sun.

The Pope says that we are in constant need of this little light that comes from the saints. Their light helps us to know and love the light of the Creator.

You and I can easily think of favorite saints who are like the moon. They are like the little light that helps us to know and love the big light of God.

We might name Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton or Saint Francis of Assisi. Or we might think of Saint Teresa of Avila or Saint Ignatius of Loyola.

These and many other saints are like the moon, like the little light. They help us to know and love the sun, who is God or Jesus.

This is why the feasts of the saints from the earliest times have been part of liturgy and spirituality. It is why today we have one great celebration of All Saints.

Their light, coming from God, enables us to know better the interior richness of God’s great light. Their light draws us to a fuller communion with Jesus who is the light of the world and the light for our lives.