Road to Fifty Reflections: Day 44
Sainthood Is Not an Option, It’s a Must
Today we celebrated the Solemnity of All Saints at the Columbary... a sacred reunion of both the living and the dead. The air felt heavy yet holy, filled with remembrance and hope. The priest who celebrated the Mass shared not just blessings for the “tombs,” but blessings for our souls as well.
He reminded us of something Pope Francis once said, "Sainthood is not an option but a necessity." It is a challenge for each of us to aim not for comfort, but for holiness.
He used the word SAINTS as an acronym. And as he beautifully said, the Beatitudes (Gospel today) are the blueprint of sainthood.
S – Sincerity
St. Alphonsus Liguori said we must work on our character, not our reputation. Character is who we are before God, doing good even when no one sees us.
A – Accountability
We are not meant to live only for ourselves. Our time, talent and treasure are gifts meant to bear fruit. E. Powell said, “What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God.”
I – Integrity
To be holy is to choose courage over comfort. Love is not a fleeting emotion but a steady decision we renew daily.
N – Nobility
Ernest Hemingway wrote, “There is nothing noble in being superior to your fellow man; true nobility is being superior to your former self.” Saints finish strong... they embrace transformation, the lifelong metanoia of the heart.
T – Truth
Truth without love is brutality; love without truth is hypocrisy. They must walk hand in hand. Christ, the Way, the Truth and the Life, is both love and truth in perfect unity.
S – Sacrifice
The Cross remains our greatest classroom of love. Scars (emotional, psychological, spiritual) are proof that we have loved, struggled and survived. Khalil Gibran once said, “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.”
Through pain, God refines us...through surrender, He sanctifies us.
And as the priest began and ended with the song “Do You Know Where You’re Going To? (by Diana Ross)”... I couldn’t help but ask myself:
Do I really know where I’m going?
If the why is clear, the how will follow.
Sainthood isn’t a luxury for a few, it’s the mission for all.
When life hurts, when faith wavers, remember this: H.O.P.E ~ Hold On, Pain Ends.
Because every scar, every tear, every cross we carry, is carving in us the face of a saint.
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Reflections with Fr. Bobby, OP at Sanctuario de Sto. Domingo
All Saints Day, November 1
đŸ“· Michelle Alamil
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