A Franciscan Reflection for All Saints Day
On this blessed All Saints Day, we gather to celebrate the communion of saints, the cloud of witnesses who have gone before us. And the saints among us, striving to live out the beatitudes as we embrace the teachings of St. Francis.
Revelation 7:9-17
reminds us of the countless saints from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing before the Lamb. They wear white robes, symbolizing their purity and dedication to God’s ways. As Franciscans, we seek to imitate their holiness by living lives of simplicity, love, and service to all.
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
calls us to magnify the Lord and to taste and see that the Lord is good. St. Francis saw God’s goodness reflected in all of creation and urged us to care for the earth, for it is our common home. Let us, like Francis, praise the Creator through our stewardship of the environment and our commitment to “Laudato Si” – the care for our common home.
1 John 3:1-3
speaks of the love the Father has lavished upon us, and it reminds us that we are children of God. In our journey towards sainthood, we must remember that it is our identity as children of God that should guide our actions. St. Francis embodied this when he referred to all creatures as his brothers and sisters, reminding us of the interconnectedness of all living beings.
Matthew 5:1-12,
known as the Beatitudes, provides us with the blueprint for a blessed and saintly life. St. Francis lived the Beatitudes, especially through his poverty of spirit, meekness, and peacemaking. Let us strive to be “poor in spirit” by letting go of our attachments to material wealth and embracing the wealth of God’s love. Let us be “peacemakers” by working for peace, both in our hearts and in the world.
In the spirit of St. Francis, we are called to be instruments of peace and reconciliation. Let us follow the example of the saints, living out the beatitudes with humility, compassion, and a deep love for God’s creation.
May the communion of saints guide and inspire us, and may we, like St. Francis, strive to be instruments of God’s peace and love in the world.
Love and Peace
Vanda tssf
