And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. —Revelation 5:8
Last week, we discussed the ways in which mission is essential to the life of the Church, and we noted how taking responsibility for our own spiritual formation is a key component of this. As we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, we ought to consider the role that the saints play in our spiritual lives. The saints are those who presently enjoy the everlasting bliss and peace of beatitude in the Vision of God. They are conformed perfectly to the likeness of Christ, drawn unceasingly deeper into the divine depths of love and holiness: “Still they joy and weary never, / More and more delighting ever” (Hymn 129).
One of the chief roles that the saints play in our spiritual lives is by providing models for our emulation. As we pray in the Collect for All Saints: “grant us grace so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those unspeakable joys, which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee.” The saints are the exemplars of “all virtuous and godly living.” Through the witness of their lives and works, they show us what it means to live truly and wholly for God.
The extraordinary diversity of the saints’ lives teaches us that there are many different ways to be holy and to serve God. Some saints were devout and innocent from their youth; others were great sinners before their conversions. Some were to be found ministering to countless people daily; others were hermits and solitaries. Some were among the most eminent minds humanity has ever produced; others were unlettered. Some were kings; others were peasants. The saints represent every conceivable background, state of life, ability, and temperament. In this they reflect the boundless abundance and inexhaustible richness of their Creator. Each of us is an unrepeatable creation, called to grow into the likeness of God according to his own unique personhood.
What this means is that there is no “one size fits all” version of the spiritual life. To be sure, there are common standards: The Mass, the Daily Office, and our private prayers form the fixed anchors. The diminution of sin and the growth in virtue serve as the index of progress. An ever-increasing awareness of God’s ongoing presence in our lives (called “recollection”), tending toward union with Him, becomes the goal. But each of our own specific temperaments, experiences, struggles, gifts, and vocations will impact how we live out our life in Christ. We all have the capacity uniquely to enrich the Body of Christ.
The second way that the saints aid our spiritual lives is through their intercession. Although they currently dwell in God’s presence, the saints are not cut off from us, for the Church is one. Whenever we profess our faith in the “communion of saints,” we testify that these members of the Church Triumphant stand alongside us as fellow members of the Body. They participate in the common life of the Body through their worship and prayers, and they powerfully contribute to the outpouring of grace and the circulation of spiritual vitality that flows from Christ the Vine into all of His branches (Jn. 15:5).
The saints are the friends of God; they are also our friends. At this very moment we are being prayed for and encouraged by saints who love us and care for us with the perfect love of Christ. They are the steadfast companions of our wayfaring: having already made the journey, they eagerly aid and assist us to follow their blessed steps if we are willing to enlist their guidance.
Léon Bloy once wrote, “The only real sadness, the only real failure, the only great tragedy in life, is not to become a saint.” We are all called to sanctity. The saints we commemorate in the liturgy are the heroes of the Faith—those whom God called to great things and who responded greatly. But there are countless others who lived lives of quiet sanctity, whose names and deeds are known only to God and to the Church above.
None of us knows the adventure upon which we have embarked in our baptism. Perhaps one of us will be called to become a 21st-century St. Francis or St. Catherine of Siena. Regardless, we are all called to humble service, steadfast perseverance, and loving companionship with God. We are all to wait patiently upon the calling of God. Our growth in prayer, our conformity to Christ, our renunciation of self-will all enable us better to hear and respond to this calling. The saints show us the way in their lives, and they give us strength and courage through their prayers.
—Fr. Corey
