For all the saints

Paul often referred to his addressees as saints, or the holy ones. He wasn’t writing about those very holier-than-thou canonised variety of saints, but the regular every day faithful who chose to live out Christian lives with conviction. And, they weren’t perfect by any means.

I have known some great saints; people of patience, honesty, trustworthy and trusting, compassionate, kind, gentle and loving. Oh yes, some liked to party. Brother Gabriel Preston, Brother Damian Ryles, my late dad and my mother, Mrs Mary Webb, my father-in-law Jim, his father-in-law Basil O’Halloran, Sister Mary Sarto, great aunt Gwendoline. And yes, they were not or are not perfect.

The people who impact on our lives for the better, are those who challenge us by the way they live their own lives. They may be great teachers, great academics, sports people, financiers, military, clergy, religious, artists, musicians, builders, librarians, homemakers or office workers – they are good at what they do, but they have an enormous capacity to care about others, they want others to dream dreams, reach for the stars, be healthy and know love.

Gwendoline, whom we called Aunty Jimmie, was a nurse. The pictures of her in the 1920s and 30s present a vivacious and attractive young woman. She took to nursing like a duck to water. She did service in New Guinea, and returned to Australia a wiser human being. She never married; she was one of the first graduates of the College of Nursing Australia’s Diploma in Nursing Education, taught, and then retired to nurse her ailing sister. She lived a wonderful, rich and fruitful life, nursing and caring for thousands. Her life affected so many, and none more so than my own. Her humour and concern for others was infective and influenced many young woman to take up careers in nursing. Aunty Jimmy was certainly not what I would call religious, but she was certainly faithful. And a saint.

Matthew (5:1 – 12) sets out his criteria for ‘sainthood’ – the Beatitudes. To whom does the kingdom belong? It belongs to the poor in spirit, the gentle, mourners, those who hunger and thirst for what is right, the merciful, the pure in heart, peacemakers, those persecuted in the cause of right, those who are abused and persecuted on account of their faith. They are indeed saints.

Such saints are within our grasp. We know them, they are not superhuman beings, but they are superb human beings.

This Sunday, is of course, All Saints Day, in recognition of God’s grace so generously bestowed on us through the exemplary lives of our forebears in faith. This is followed by All Souls Day on which we recollect our many loved ones who have gone before us, Brother Gabriel, Sister Mary Sarto, Basil, and Aunty Jimmy, holy ones indeed, each chosen by God, and loved by him – and they will be made perfect by him.