All Saints' Day Prayer

If you want to be an artist you begin by learning the techniques of famous artists like Michelangelo etc. If you want to be a singer, you study the music of the greatest musicians in your preferred genre. This goes for almost any trade or talent that you might want to learn, the first thing you study is those who mastered their trade. But who is the expert we can follow to teach us how to be good Catholics, to be good neighbors, to help us use our talents according to God's will, to teach us that even sinners if they repent can reach Heaven, these "experts" are the saints. 

Saints are those who lived holy lives and have gone to Heaven. Saint Clement I  said to "Follow the saints, because those who follow them will become saints." 

Saints like Saint Augustine teaches us that 'There is no saint without a past, no sinner without a future.' 

Saint Therese teaches us that even the "littlest souls" can attain Heaven. 

"You know, Mother, that I have always wanted to be become a saint. Unfortunately when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passersby. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new[…] It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven, And so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less."

Saint Francis teaches us to follow God's will even if it means giving up all we have, "for it is giving that we receive." 

We can all learn from the courage of the Martyrs, the writings, or the Doctors of the Church, the saints' virtues, and the saints strength in following God's will for their lives even though their were many adversities that hindered them. However, these adversities and trials were the fire God used to forge the saints into Gold.

All Saints' Day Prayer! 

How shining and splendid are your gifts, O Lord

which you give us for our eternal well-being

Your glory shines radiantly in your saints, O God

In the honour and noble victory of the martyrs.

The white-robed company follow you,

bright with their abundant faith;

They scorned the wicked words of those with this world's power.

For you they sustained fierce beatings, chains, and torments,

they were drained by cruel punishments.

They bore their holy witness to you

who were grounded deep within their hearts;

they were sustained by patience and constancy.

Endowed with your everlasting grace,

may we rejoice forever

with the martyrs in our bright fatherland.

O Christ, in your goodness,

grant to us the gracious heavenly realms of eternal life.

Unknown author, 10th century

Happy All Saints' Day!

Ta, Ta for now!