Wow! How did it get to be November already!  This Sunday we celebrate the Solemnity of “All Saints,” and that is a good opportunity to consider why the Church presents us with Saints.

The saints are held up by the Church as examples of those who have gone before us and lived lives that were in some way heroic; they serve as models for you and me for how we ought to live our lives, in service to others and the Gospel teaching of Jesus.

We can think of several example saints: St. Therese of Lisieux, who showed us the “little way of love” as a way to pray to God; St. Francis of Assisi, and care for the poor; Saint Teresa of Calcutta who also cared for the poor. Saints Joan of Arc and Catherine of Siena who portrayed the power of women before their time; St. John Paul II whose dynamic witness to the Gospel included in his last years an example of humility in the face of a debilitating illness.  St. Joseph, the patron of husbands and fathers; Our Blessed Mother, Mary, patroness of wives and mothers, and our patroness as Our Lady of Good Counsel.

You may have heard me say this in the past, but is it worth repeating: every Catholic should have 2 or 3 favorite saints, 2 or 3 favorite mysteries of the Rosary, and 2 or 3 favorite Stations of the Cross.  These are all part of our shared Catholic identity, and shape our prayer lives within our families and faith community.

With today’s Gospel reading, let me expand my encouragement: what is your favorite Beatitude? In Chapter 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, we hear today these teaching s of Jesus that relate to how we are blessed by God. Some of these might need explaining! Blessed to mourn? Yes, when we mourn over our sins and change our lives!

Blessed the poor in spirit, or the meek? Yes, when we accept our hardships with humility as the servants of God.

Let’s choose to use the Beatitudes as a lens through which we view our discipleship.  Each one invites us to consider others before ourselves, to work for peace and harmony in the world, to persevere in our journey to become holy. In short, the Beatitudes are a roadmap that was followed by the Saints we venerate in today’s solemnity. Saint Francis was meek and humble; Saint Joseph must have felt despair when he fled to Egypt with Jesus and Mary. Mother Teresa welcomed those who were abandoned in the gutters of Calcutta with love.

Perhaps your favorite saint is in your Confirmation name. Regardless of whom you have chosen, let us ask them to join their intercessions with our own today!