All Saints - Year A - Could There Be A Saint In You & “Litany of the Saints”

Friends, when we hear the word saint, we might picture someone from long ago, someone who performed extraordinary miracles, lived a remarkably holy life, or possessed a faith that seems far beyond our own. We admire the saints, but sometimes we can also feel that their holiness belongs to another world, one far removed from the ordinary realities of our own lives. Yet All Saints’ Day invites us to look at holiness differently.

In the Gospel, Jesus gives us the Beatitudes: blessed are the poor in spirit, the merciful, the peacemakers, those who hunger for righteousness, and those who mourn. Notice that Jesus does not speak about the famous, the powerful, or the perfect. He speaks about people whose hearts are open to God and to one another.

Perhaps holiness is closer to us than we think.

It can be found in a parent who quietly sacrifices for a family, a person who chooses forgiveness when resentment would be easier, a friend who stays when everyone else walks away, or a stranger who offers kindness without expecting anything in return. It can be found in those who stand beside the lonely, defend the vulnerable, and bring peace into places filled with anger and division.

These moments may never make headlines. They may never earn applause. But they matter deeply, because they reveal something of God's love in our world.

The saints remind us that holiness is not about being perfect; it is about allowing love to shape the way we live. It is about getting back up when we fall, choosing goodness when it costs us something, and beginning again when we have lost our way. It is about allowing God to work through our ordinary lives in extraordinary ways.

And perhaps this is one of the most beautiful truths of All Saints’ Day: God does not ask us to become someone else; he invites us to become the best, most loving version of who we were created to be.

We do not need to wait for a special moment to begin. We can begin today, in our homes, our workplaces, our friendships, and our communities. We can choose patience over anger, compassion over indifference, and hope over despair. We can become a little more generous, a little more forgiving, and a little more attentive to those who need to know they are not forgotten.

As we celebrate the great saints who have gone before us, let us also give thanks for the quiet saints who have touched our lives: the people whose faith, goodness, courage, and kindness have helped us become who we are. Some may no longer be with us, but their love continues to bear fruit in the lives they have touched.

Let us also remember that the call to holiness is not reserved for a privileged few. It is an invitation extended to every one of us, wherever we find ourselves on life's journey.

Perhaps the world does not need more people who appear perfect. Perhaps it needs more people who are willing to love sincerely, forgive generously, serve humbly, and live with compassion.

This All Saints’ Day, may we not only look up to the saints who inspire us, but also discover the holiness we are called to live ourselves.

For sainthood does not begin with extraordinary deeds; it begins with an ordinary heart willing to love extraordinarily.

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In honor of the Gospel reading, we would like to share our latest video. “Litany of the Saints” by Orin Johnson draws cantor, choir, and congregation into a shared prayer, asking the saints to intercede for us.

Originally composed for the Easter Vigil and baptismal celebrations, this setting offers a prayerful connection to this Sunday’s Solemnity of All Saints, November 1, 2026. The readings reveal a heavenly multitude gathered before God, while Jesus’ Beatitudes illuminate the path of holiness through mercy, purity of heart, and peacemaking.

Video can be watched by clicking here or by clicking on the thumbnail below.