All Saints Day November 1, 2019
Fr. Albert St. John the Evangelist, Jeanerette
“There is only one tragedy in the end, not to have been a saint.” The novelist Leon Bloy once wrote that, and he was right. All the other things in this world that we call tragic will disappear and be nothing at the end of the world. All the money, all the fame, all the power in the world will end when this world ends so it’s not tragic when we fail to get these things. In the end, a person is either in heaven or hell. They are either a saint or they aren’t. And we were made to be saints. What a tragedy when we fail to become what we’re meant to be!
So we celebrate today. We rejoice at the many who’ve become their truest selves. How great and glorious the saints, how diverse! Sin is boring and it is repetitive. Lust and pride and violence and lies all end the same way. How rich and varied are the ways of holiness, the many, many facets of love! How can you not want to add to such a treasure, to such a history? How can you not want to be the very best version of yourself possible? How can you not want to be truly great – and be so in a way that will last forever? If you want happiness, then you really want to become a saint and the only tragedy in your life will be if you don’t.
So, how to avoid this tragedy? What is the secret to becoming a saint? I will tell you. The secret is to want it, to hope for it, work for it, and to let it happen.
Desire. The path to being a saint starts simply with wanting it. “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.” His face is the face of love and joy, how can you not long for it? Tell God you want to be a saint. Ask him to increase your desire. Never stop wanting it.
Hope for it. Seeing the face of God is so profound that it changes us in ways we can’t yet imagine. “What we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.” Desire this and then hope for it. Actively look forward to this reality, spend time daydreaming about it and hope for it. Why? Because St. John tells us that “everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as he is pure.” That’s right, the very act of hoping starts to purify you, to make you holy, to turn you into a saint.
Work for it. You can’t earn heaven, but you do still have to try. Keeping the commandments, practicing mercy, making peace, striving for purity. As the psalm proclaims only “one whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean” can stand in the holy place and gaze on the loving face of God.
And when you inevitably fall short in your efforts, don’t give up. Rather, let the holiness of God happen to you. Ultimately, becoming a saint is something God does to us, not something we do for ourselves. It starts with letting God forgive you in confession. When you fall short, go to confession and let God make you holy despite your sins. Go often! Never stop going to Mass and allowing the eternal sacrifice to soak you in grace and holiness. Never stop praying, spending time in God’s presence. Just as we let the sun tan our skin by sitting there, so we let God change our soul by sitting in his presence as much as we can, whether that’s quiet prayer in your room, reading scripture, or especially sitting before the Eucharist.
And when you suffer poverty and persecution and sorrow, let God love you and bless you in that. These beatitudes are a reminder that these trials are not really tragedies. Indeed, blessed are the poor, the meek, the mournful because they know better than anyone how powerless they are, they are more likely to rely on God’s power, to let him make them holy. You must do the same.
There is only one tragedy in the end, not to have been a saint. Avoid that tragedy. Desire to be a saint. Consciously hope for it. Work towards it. And let God make you holy so that you, yes you, can be what you were always meant to be: a saint.