From the Cardinal: Mary, the Saints, and the Universal Call to Holiness| November 8, 2024
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Vol. 6. No. 5
After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb” (Rev 7:19).
My dear sisters and brothers in Christ,
Last week, the Church’s liturgical calendar invited us to celebrate The Solemnity of All Saints on November 1st and The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed on November 2nd. The transition from Mary’s month (October) to the month in which we give thanks for all God’s gifts—beginning with the communion of saints—is seamless. After all, Mary is the queen of all the saints and a comfort to all the faithful departed, especially those who are still atoning for their sins.
Mary, the Mother of the Church, was an important figure in the deliberations of the Second Vatican Council. Vatican II’s “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church,” “Lumen Gentium,” devotes an entire chapter to Mary, a “sign of true hope and comfort for the pilgrim people of God.” Mary’s role in the history of salvation (past), in the life of the Church today (present) and as a sign of the world to come (future) is fundamental to understanding—and accepting—God’s will in our daily lives.
Mary lived in a tumultuous time in human history. Religious freedom was threatened. The poor, the sick, and people who, for various reasons, found themselves on the margins of society were routinely persecuted, abused or neglected. A devout Jew, Mary was surrounded by the hypocrisy, intolerance and self-aggrandizement of the political and religious leaders of her time, who failed to help their people see the truth.
What was Mary’s response? Faithful acceptance of God’s will, dedication to her family and service to others. Although the world around her was in chaos, Mary remained faithful.
All the saints, living and deceased, look to Mary to find their way to Jesus, her divine Son. We look to this simple woman from Nazareth to learn how to live as Christ wants us to live, as saints, holy women and men who respond with courage and integrity to the demands of the Gospel.
Today, we celebrate all saints, whether known or unknown. And today we are reminded that the call to holiness is universal, given to each of us at the time of our baptism. This is why we are all co-responsible for carrying out the mission of the Church in communion with all our sisters and brothers.
Holiness is the way of life that Jesus lived. Since Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life, we might say that holiness is living in Christ, with Christ and for Christ.
How do saints show us the way to live? Obviously, through the witness of their daily lives, the choices they make, their willingness to sacrifice for the sake of others, and their devotion to Christ. Their words and examples are helpful guides to daily Christian living. But what is the secret of their success in navigating the dark and stormy seas of life? Why are saints successful at living good and holy lives when so many others struggle and fail?
The answer is closeness to God through prayer. Saints are men and women who know how to pray. They are people who, in times of difficulty, as well as in good times, raise their minds and hearts to the Lord. They seek God’s will in their lives. They share with him their hopes and frustrations (and sometimes even their anger). Through their prayer, they strive to be in constant contact with God.
Saints do not always succeed in their intense desire to experience God’s closeness. Sometimes they endure periods when God appears to be absent from their lives, when he seems not to respond to their petitions for humility, patience, purity and the power to do God’s will. In spite of these dry, discouraging periods, the saints do not give up. They persist in praising God and trusting in his mercy.
Let us thank God for all the saints (known and unknown). Let us pray for the grace to be like them and to be the light of Christ in our world’s darkness. And let’s pray for the intercession of Mary and all the saints in heaven for us pilgrims on our synodal journey and for all the souls in purgatory who long to see the face of Jesus.
Sincerely yours in Christ the Redeemer,
Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, C.Ss.R.
Archbishop of Newark
Catechism Of The Catholic Church
Second Edition
A cloud of witnesses
2683 The witnesses who have preceded us into the kingdom, especially those whom the Church recognizes as saints, share in the living tradition of prayer by the example of their lives, the transmission of their writings, and their prayer today. They contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. When they entered into the joy of their Master, they were “put in charge of many things.” Their intercession is their most exalted service to God’s plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world.
2684 In the communion of saints, many and varied spiritualities have been developed throughout the history of the churches. The personal charism of some witnesses to God’s love for men has been handed on, like “the spirit” of Elijah to Elisha and John the Baptist, so that their followers may have a share in this spirit. A distinct spirituality can also arise at the point of convergence of liturgical and theological currents, bearing witness to the integration of the faith into a particular human environment and its history. The different schools of Christian spirituality share in the living tradition of prayer and are essential guides for the faithful. In their rich diversity they are refractions of the one pure light of the Holy Spirit.
The Spirit is truly the dwelling of the saints and the saints are for the Spirit a place where he dwells as in his own home since they offer themselves as a dwelling place for God and are called his temple (St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto).
A Message from Pope Francis: Words of Challenge and Hope
Let’s look at the “saints next door” who, with simplicity, respond to evil with good, have the courage to love their enemies and to pray for them. These holy women and men surprise us, they confound us, because by their lives they urge us to abandon a dull and dreary mediocrity.
Here are some simple steps on the path to becoming a “saint next door.”
A woman goes shopping, she meets a neighbor and they begin to speak, and the gossip starts. But she says in her heart: “No, I will not speak badly of anyone.” This is a step forward in holiness… Later, at home, one of her children wants to talk to her about his hopes and dreams, and even though she is tired, she sits down and listens with patience and love. That is another sacrifice that brings holiness. Later she experiences some anxiety, but recalling the love of the Virgin Mary, she takes her rosary and prays with faith. Yet another path of holiness. Later still, she goes out onto the street, encounters a poor person and stops to say a kind word to him. One more step. [Gaudete et exsultate]
Do not be afraid of holiness. It will take away none of your energy, vitality, or joy. Indeed, so far from being a dour affair, Christian joy is usually accompanied by a sense of humor.
My Prayer for You
My prayer for all the people of our Archdiocese is that we will take Jesus’ words to heart, act on them, and, so, become “next door saints.”
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven (Mt 5:1–12a).
Let’s set aside our hesitation and fear. Let’s work together, trusting that if we do what our Lord asks us to do, we will grow in holiness and we will be truly blessed!