Channel surfing during the half time of the Eagles game I came across the Game Show Network. Much to my surprise on the TV at that very moment was a silly game show that I used to love to watch - Let’s Make a Deal. Just as I remembered there was Monty Hall in the audience making deals with a crazily dressed audience. Some people actually won some prizes while others got a clunker of a prize. Well it all came down to the big deal of the day – two people who won the most during the show could trade in their winnings for a chance at the grand prize knowing that it was behind one of the three curtains. On this particular show no one picked the curtain with the big prize.
But what if you could see behind the curtain? What if you could see what the prize was? Wouldn’t we all pick that curtain? I know I would.
John’s vision from the Book of Revelation is like a sneak peak behind the grand prize curtain of life – it is a glimpse of the prize that awaits all who faithfully follow the Lord Jesus. Take a look …
Great multitude …every nation, race, people, and tongue … wearing white … palm branches … singing, rejoicing before the throne of the Lamb
This is the celebration of ALL the SAINTS!
You know in many ways All Saints Day is really more for us. I am sure the saints are excited about all of us gathering to worship the Lord and to honor them but the saints are sharing in the heavenly banquet, they have won the prize and they are enjoying eternal life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The saints don’t need All Saints Day – we do. We need to realize what a tremendous life lies ahead. We need to know that Jesus was serious when He promised to prepare a place for us. So All Saints Day is a day for each of us to pick the grand prize curtain, it is a day to choose to be a saint.
But how … how do we choose to be a saint? Aren’t saints super holy? Doesn’t it require that we do something spectacular? Don’t we have to be successful in all that we do?
Mother Teresa answered these kinds of questions this way, “God has not called me to be successful, He only called me to be faithful.”
This is what is required to be a saint
- FAITHFULNESS -
WE need to HEAR the Word of God and ACT on it!
But it is not all up to us the Holy Spirit will help us to really hear what God is saying to us and how we are to respond. Then we need to respond by coming forward and receiving Jesus Himself in the Eucharist. He will be the strength and the power we need to be able to put that word into action.
The BE-attitudes are our Gospel challenge. Jesus instructs us on how to act, how to be faithful. We need to be live humbly, with a pure heart, showing mercy and compassion. We need to be peacemakers, and to be concerned about the welfare of those we encounter. For each day we are in constant contact with others from family members to complete strangers. But our attitude should be the same. “Whatever you do for the least of my brethren, you do for me.” Each person needs to be loved as though we were meeting the Lord Himself. This is what it means for you and I to begin becoming saints.
Simple everyday faithfulness to God’s Word
by caring for all those we meet.
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