Love Without Borders
The monument of St. Teresa of Avila, Avila, Spain.
By Sr. Barbara O'Dea DW
In my early years in Catholic grade school, religion classes every Friday morning included the story of a holy person, a prophet, a beatified or canonized saint. Those stories lit a fire in our hearts. Treasured moments with the saints of old, they inspired our imaginations and our faith. I remember one, in particular, a story of St. Teresa of Avila as a child. Eager to become a saint, not just any saint, a martyr, she convinced her younger brother to run away and join the Crusaders and sail off to the Holy Land. They set off, but their plan was discovered, and they were returned home. Fact or fiction, I do not know; however, decades later, it lives on as an image of Teresa's immense desire to do something great for God that took root in my heart. I talked to God about my desire, saying that "I too wanted to be a saint, adding, but please don't ask me to be a martyr. I could not do that. I would be too scared." That story remains etched in my memory still today.
Who are the Saints? The great cloud of witnesses in Paul's letter to the Hebrews, disciples of Jesus throughout the ages who encourage and accompany us. Saints now in heaven who love us and remain in communion with us. Saints of old, some we knew during their lives on earth, perhaps our mothers, fathers, and grandmothers, a teacher, a close friend. All these friends of God are there to protect and sustain us. Think about those who have touched your life. Many are still among us; Pope Francis calls them “the saints next door” (Apostolic Gaudete et Exultate, #6).
In 2018 Pope Francis wrote a letter to all the faithful, Rejoice and Be Glad, on the call to holiness in today's world with all its risks, challenges, and opportunities. Just two years later, on October 3rd, 2020, a new encyclical appeared Brothers and Sisters All - Fratelli Tutti: On Unity and social friendship. It calls us to encounter one another capable of overcoming all distance and every temptation to engage in disputes, impositions, or submissions. Both proclaim a universal call to holiness. The first introduces us to the Saints Next Door, a phrase that has marked my life ever since. In the second, the path to follow is the culture of encounter. The Holy Spirit bestows holiness in abundance to save us as a people.
Pope Francis reminds us that the COVID 19 pandemic has revived the sense that we are a global community called to rethink our lifestyles, our relationships, the organization of our societies, and above all, the meaning of our existence. We need to be aware of many new paths of hope. God continues to sow abundant seeds of good news in our human family. He calls us to hope. Love, justice, and solidarity are not achieved once and for all; they must be built day by day.
Who are the saints today who show us how to integrate the love of God and neighbor in their daily lives: those who live their lives bearing witness to their faith and values? To name a few,
· Couples through faithfulness to their commitments to marriage and family
· Young people who organize service projects collecting food to feed the hungry
· The students at Parkside School who protested the shootings in their school starting from Florida and reaching all the way to Congress
· Millennials who proudly proclaim their collective political power and their intention to vote to promote elections that are truly by the people and for the common good
· Those active in the Black Lives Matter movement for justice and peace for people of color and so many more.
Take some time today to reflect on how God calls you. Who are the saints who have touched your life? Share stories with others - friends, family, and ask your children to share theirs. The Solemnity of all Saints is our feast. The holiness of God has touched our lives.
HAPPY FEAST DAY TO ALL!