Next Sunday is All Saints Day, which celebrates not only those godly women and men who have gone before us into glory, but the saints we all are. Yes, even you!
There is a reason we call it "All Saints" – it reminds us that all who follow Christ as Lord are seen as saints of God. “Saints” was just the term used for Christ followers; Paul would write a letter to “the saints who are in Corinth,” or “the saints who are in Rome.” It refers to people called out and set aside, consecrated, made holy to the Lord, the way we set aside special consecrated vessels for holy rituals.
“Saint” does not mean “a really good person” or “holier than thou.” In fact, true saints are humble enough to be quite aware of their faults and weaknesses. Our doctrine of saints recognizes that saints are made, not born - just add water! We are made holy by being united with Christ in baptism, not through our own efforts and attributes. Many of our best known saints, like St. Augustine or St. Francis of Assisi, had quite rakish pasts before the Holy Spirit got hold of them. Some, like St. Teresa of Avila, were quick of wit and sharp of tongue. Some were martyrs, some monastics, some simple, some highly educated. Saints come in all shapes and sizes.
What kind of saint are you? When are you most aware of having been made holy? Another way to ask that is, when are you most aware of the Holy Spirit working through you?
If you want to become more aware of your sainthood, that’s a prayer God is always pleased to answer, “Make me more holy, Lord.” If you pray that prayer today, also ask the Spirit to show you all the ways you already reflect God’s holiness and love. Saints are a work in progress.
The Holy Spirit always leaves a residue. Through our encounters with the Spirit we become tinged with the holy, and as we keep inviting the Spirit to dwell in, with and through us, that tinge of holiness grows stronger and thicker until the holiness is more obvious than the mere humanity. And then, lo and behold, someone is liable to say of you, “S/He is such a saint!”
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