“Heaven Is Cheering”

It’s All Saints Day, one of my favorite feasts of the year. On our street the kids dress up as their favorite saint and go begging for goodies. They  recite some interesting tidbit about their saint and get some M&M’s, Snickers, DOTS, Reese’s Pieces, Hershey bars, chips, Twix’s and more to put into their little bag ….. a bit like St. Francis begging for his food.

The “Saints of All Saints Day are the Hall of Fame Saints”… the Mickey Mantles and Stan Musuals and Hank Aarons of the saints… the ones you admire from a distance. To be honest, it’s pretty tough to relate to these saints who are bigger than life.

Yet today I heard a few different and helpful approaches to All Saints Day. Our pastor, quoting Pope Francis, referenced how the saints continue to love us , noting how love never fails, never fades, and never ends. He quoted Pope Benedict: “each of us can say that surrounded, led, and guided by the friends of God, I never have to carry alone what in truth I could never carry alone. These saints are behind us, encouraging us, helping us, so that one day we may rejoice with them in heaven. It was a very encouraging homily. It wasn’t just about them, it was about us and how they are helping us to one day join them.

I later read a beautiful meditation by Pope Benedict. He mentioned that “most of the great saints are unknown and nameless just as we too will be one day— but not to God. This is precisely what makes them saints… they are known to God. This day is a celebration of hope. In a world which is plagued by hopelessness and where few even know who you are, God knows you and is expecting you. Beneath the surface of today’s feast, a powerful cry is perceptible: You are expected… the cry of hope and encouragement from the finish line reaches those who are still on the journey… a cry that causes hope to dawn…because the one calling is God.” (ref. Magnificat, Nov. 1 2023. Page 29)

I find all this very encouraging. On this All Saints Day, from the steps of the “Heavenly Cooperstown” we hear:

• The saints love us
• They are helping us to carry what we are not able to carry alone.
• They are helping to protect, sustain us.
• We may be unknown to those on earth, but we are known by God
• God is expecting us and is calling us home.

So be encouraged to continue to fight the good fight of faith. We are not alone. All of heaven is rooting for us. Listen to the cry of hope and encouragement from the finish line…..”keep running, you’re doing great, you will make it, we will help you, don’t be afraid…..”. And that is very good news.