Gospel reflections – ALL SAINTS DAY
1 November 2020
RISE UP to the OCCASION
Today we celebrate the feast of all saints.
SAINTS are people who respond in a CRISIS like CHRIST in them is. In times of peril, they are the persons who rise up to the occasion!
St Mother Teresa… she saw the crisis of poverty and sickness, of people feeling alone and in pain. She responded. She did what she felt Christ invited her to do. She did what Christ would have done. In such a crisis, she has shown to the world, to the poor, who Christ is. Tsaraaaan… Saint Mother Teresa!
St John Bosco… he saw the crisis of young people led astray, having wasted lives, having no one to turn to, no one who will guide them. In the context of the Industrial revolution during his time, he saw the crisis of youth friendless, teacherless, fatherless. He responded. He did what he felt Christ invited him to do. He did what Christ would have done. In such a crisis, he has shown to the world, to the young, who Christ is. Tsaraaaan… Saint John Bosco!
St Father Damien of Molokai… a Dutch missionary priest who saw the crisis of lepers living in isolation and suffering in that bleak island in the Pacific called Molokai. He volunteered to be quarantined with them to care for them, to serve them, to be with them, to help them see what he sees — that God is with them, until he died with them and like them, a leper too. He did what he felt Christ invited him to do. He did what Christ would have done. In such a crisis, he has shown to the world, to the lepers, who Christ is. Tsaraaaan… Saint Father Damien!
St Charles Borromeo… he saw the crisis of faith against Protestantism; he was there when the crisis of the Great Plague of Milan had stricken, which had killed a million lives. He defended faithfully God’s teachings through Catholic doctrines. He cared for lovingly, God’s people throughout those years of pandemic. He did what he felt Christ invited him to do. He did what Christ would have done. In such a crisis, he has shown the world, the Church and the sick, who Christ is. Tsaraaaan… Saint Charles Borromeo!
The list can go on and on and on. The examples of people responding in various ways during various periods of various crises… and thus we call them saints. They did what they felt Christ invited them to do. They did what Christ would have done. In such crises, they have shown who Christ is. Tsaraaaan… saints!
Indeed, SAINTS are people who respond in a CRISIS like CHRIST in them is. In times of peril, they are the persons who rise up to the occasion!
Are we not we in a crisis now? Co-vid crisis… among many other perils?
Is it not high time to be saints here and now?
To rise up to the occasion?
May we do what Christ invites us to do. May we do what Christ would have done. In our crisis, may we show who Christ is. Thus? Tsaraaaan… you and I, saints!
What crisis are you facing right now?
Health? You’re not alone. The whole world is.
The whole world is in so much crises now. We have far more deadly virus than co-vid. Literally our mother earth is seriously sick. And humanity is ill with lots of viruses… like indifference not just poverty, loneliness not just sicknesses, hopelessness more than just helplessness, dying inside little by little more than just simply dying, depression more than just death, moral degradation not just wars and famine, and more and more and more…
What crisis are you facing right now?
Family? Finances? Friendships? Relationships? Faith?…
I have a friend. He loves his wife and kids. But he feels that his wife does not love him anymore. Ouch. He does not want to force her to love him still because he loves her. But he also does not want to lose her because he loves her. What is he to do?
I have a friend. She just lost her home. She could not pay the rent for months. She can handle being homeless herself. But what pains her is that her children are now separated from her and from one another, all because she could not afford to keep them all with her. She has lost them. She is losing herself as well. Such a heavy crisis, she is in.
I have a friend. She is a good Catholic, obviously in love with God. She is searching for that kind of a deep prayer life. She is experiencing such, outside the Catholic church, in a different religion. She is in crisis.
And I am sure, she is not alone. They, my friends, are not the only ones facing crises, right?
“Father… I just noticed… How come all your friends are in crisis? Now I feel hesitant considering you as a friend, hihi. I wonder why, father?”
You know what? I noticed that too, hehe. But maybe that is why God allowed me to be their friends… to be their saintly friend. Wish I could be one too to you… as you are to me. May I do what Christ invites me to do. May I do what Christ would do. In the crises around me, may I show to others who Christ is. Thus? Tsaraaaan… St Ramon… naks… how I wiiish!
What crisis are you facing right now?
What crisis are your friends and the people around you facing right now?
May we do what Christ invites us to do. May we do what Christ would have done. In our crisis, may we show who Christ is. Thus? Tsaraaaan… you and I, saints!
Our response need not be GREAT. It just has to be HOLY… one that is rooted in love of God and neighbour.
Maybe that is why there is this All Saints Day… to pay tribute to all the so many saints out there who may have not done great things that have been made known throughout the world, throughout the Church, as the great saints did, but have surely lived holy though hidden and humble lives. We honour and thank you all. Do intercede for us as we follow your example. May we like them more. May we become like them more.
Today is All Saints Day.
Let us renew our deep intent and holy desire to be saints.
How? In front of these crises, in us and around us, let us respond to God’s call.
In this CRISIS, let us show the world who CHRIST IS.
Saints, you and I…. Let us RISE UP to the occasion.
Post Script:
Tomorrow is All Souls Day.
If you fail to rise up today and wish to be a saint… all your ghosts will be the one who will rise up to haunt you… tomorrow and onwards. You would not want that, would you? Halaaaaa!!!
Fr Ramon Borja, SDB
Commission for Youth
