What do you think of when you hear the word ‘saint’? My guess is that most people think of the saints as some sort of super Christian, whose spiritual life is above and beyond what we mere mortals are capable of.
One drawback of this way of thinking is that we forget that all the saints (including us!) are saved by the Gospel of grace. Whether it’s Paul (see 1 Tim 1:15-16) or Peter (see John 21:15-19), Mary Magdalene (see Luke 8:2) or the Virgin Mary (see Luke 1:47), whether it’s the earliest Christians or the saints of the 21st century, all of them represent the power of God’s mercy to forgive, to heal, to change and to renew.
This All Saints’ Day, let’s give thanks for the examples we have in all the saints – let’s genuinely let them inspire us! But most of all, let’s give thanks for the way they show the power of God’s grace offered to all who believe.