All Christians are called to be saints, Pope tells audience
November 04, 2013
At his Angelus audience on November 1, Pope Francis said that the feast of All Saints is a reminder “that the end of our earthly existence is not death, but rather paradise!”
The Pope reminded the crowd in St. Peter’s Square that the saints “are not supermen, nor were they born perfect. They are like us.” What distinguishes the saints, he said, is that “when they knew God's love, they followed him with all their heart, without conditions or hypocrisy.”
“The saints never hated,” the Pope continued. “Hate does not come from God, but from the devil! And the Saints distanced themselves from the devil.”
Returning to his central theme, the Pope emphasized that sanctity is not an unattainable goal. “All of us, in baptism, receive the inheritance of being able to become saints. Saintliness is a vocation for all.”
The Kingdom of Heaven, the Pope said, “is for those who do not base their security in material things, but rather in the love of God.” Jesus shows this path to sanctity in the beatitudes, he said, and the witness of the saints teaches us to “trust in the Lord, because the Lord never disappoints.”
For all current news, visit our News home page.
Further information:
All comments are moderated. To lighten our editing burden, only current donors are allowed to Sound Off. If you are a current donor, log in to see the comment form; otherwise please support our work, and Sound Off!
-
Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Nov. 04, 2013 3:51 PM ET USA
In his sermon yesterday our pastor pointed out that we and the saints are called to hate. Our calling is to turn our back on sin, to the point of hating it. In a rhythm akin to one used by Barry Goldwater: To be lukewarm in pursuit of the good is no virtue; to be extreme in the pursuit of holiness is no vice.
