ALL SAINTS DAY

Today we celebrate the feast of all saints day. Today we remember known and unknown saints,
who put their faith into practice and helped others to know the love, kindness and the
forgiveness of God our Father.

Once a farmer who got so old that he could not labour in the field anymore, used to spend
all day just sitting on the porch. His son who was still working in the field, would look
up from time to time and would see his dad sitting on the porch. one day the son got so mad
thinking that his dad was not doing anything, made a wood coffin, dragged it over to the
porch and asked his dad to get in. Without saying anything, the dad climbed inside. The son
took the coffin to a mountain top to throw him down. And before throwing him down, the dad
spoke,"son, may i suggest something?" what? the son asked, throw me over the cliff, if you
wish but save this wood coffin because your children might need it one day.

Saints are living among us, teaching us the values of life and living; teaching about God's love
and forgiveness. They are blessed because theirs is the kingdom of God.

The sermon on the mount teaches us the way of life. It teaches us to understand and accept our
life and of others. The sermon on the mount gives faith in present and hope in the future.

Once a saint visited a village and the news spread like wild fire. And people came from
everywhere to see the saint, and a man made a long and difficult journey to visit the
saint. when he arrived at the house, he saw an old servant inside who greeted him at the
door, the man said, "I am here to see the saint". The old man smiled and led him inside, as
they walked through the house, the man looked everywhere to meet the saint. But before he
knew it, he had been let to the back door and was put outside. The man looked at the old
man and said, "I want to see the saint". The old man looked at him and said, "you already
have my friend, you already have". "Every one you may meet in life, even if they appear
plain and insignificant... see each of them as a holy person, a saint and then you will come
to know the secret of life.

On this all saints day, we not only honour the memory of countless known and unknown saints
and holy men and women and also thank God for giving ordinary men and women a share in his
holiness and heavenly glory as a reward for their life. And we thank God for blessing us
with gifts of love and forgiveness and thus a way to put our faith into practice.
Saints were people who did ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way. We are all called to
become saints by living out the gospel message.

one day people in a small village in Italy approached St. Francis and said to him, "we have
wolf problem. It kills the animals and terrorize our children and people, we don't know
what to do. please help us and St. Francis approached and talked to the wolf and then he
said to the people, "feed the wolf and it will go away"

a small act of Charity can bring big change in others. saints were people who by doing
small things make a difference in someones lives.

what is the best way to become a saint in twentieth century?
Is it to do what St. Anthony did in the forth century; turn our backs on the pleasure of
the world and live apart from society in a desert?
Is it to do what St.Francis did in the thirteenth century? turn our backs on material
wealth and preach the gospel wherever we can find a crowd?
Or is it to do something like St. Elizabeth did in the nineteenth century: raise a family and
spend the rest of our life working with society's sick and needy?
The answer to the question is Now don't become a saint by doing what god made somebody else to do but we become a saint by
doing what God made us to do.

yes, holy men and women and saints inspire us to find out our call and achieve our holiness by living it out each and every day. So as we are celebrating ALL SAINTS DAY today, let us ask God to bless us and thus we will reach holiness by living according to our call. Amen.