By Fr. Glenn Jones:
Whew! Big couple of weeks coming up. Of course, all in the news is the coming election on Nov. 5. People have said that this is the most important election of our time, and that the partisanship is worse than ever. Well, maybe … but it seems we hear that every four years. But it is a civic duty—are responsibility of citizenship—to make each of our voices heard on election days. We may feel like we’re “a voice in the wilderness” in this third most populous country on earth, but as is said, each pebble helps make up the mountain.
With all the quadrennially-rampant vitriol, it’s a bit ironic that the election takes place so near All Saints Day (annually on Nov. 1) of all days, the Catholic (and some other denominations’) annual celebration remembering and honoring our brothers and sisters who have, as St. Paul himself wrote: “…fought the good fight…have finished the race…have kept the faith” (2 Timothy 4:7). …even unto death—deaths often as martyrs.
What follows below is largely from an earlier one of these articles, but the info is important to promote understanding among faiths. Too often people of different faiths simply dismiss each other without furthering understanding of one another.
Sadly, because of historic Christian internecine debate and conflict, some still erroneously believe that Catholics/Orthodox/others “worship saints”, but that is certainly not the case. After all, a saint is simply, as stated above, a human being who lived a good and worthy life in accord with the principles of virtue, goodness and righteousness. And we certainly can’t know who all the saints are; many good and holy people have lived totally unknown, humbly working and living in kindness, charity and wisdom the best they knew how.
In prayers to saints, we simply ask for their prayers to God for us just as a person might ask another person to pray for him (ref: James 5:16). However, as proven friends of God, we believe the saints’ prayers may be more efficacious for their having endured faithfully in earthly life. St. Paul emphasizes: “…we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another.” (Romans 12:5) We pray for our family and friends while here on earth, so also we believe the saints pray for us as well. Images of saints in churches, homes and highways are for inspiration, not worship—just as a physics student might have a poster of Einstein, or a baseball player of Babe Ruth … or all of us photos of beloved family members gone ahead of us.
Then, too, each Nov. 2 we have All Souls Day—El Dia de los Muertos (the Day of the Dead) in Spanish—in which we pray for our beloved (indeed, for all of the) dead, for “all have sinned” and need the mercy of God. The belief involves the many debated interpretations of scripture and theology within Christianity, including Purgatory, faith and works, accepted books of scripture, etc.—too extensively to be expanded upon here. But, if not afraid to be curious, it’s briefly outlined in the Catechism of the Catholic Church, paragraphs 1030-1032—a short read.
God does not judge us on our comparison with others, but rather by what He wants us to be—in short, to be like Jesus, who is our perfect exemplar. Each person is given his own gifts, whether they be from intelligence, understanding, and the like. But we remember Jesus words: “To those whom much has been given, much is expected” (Luke 12:48) … and the prophet Baruch: “Blessed are we…for what pleases God is known to us!” (Baruch 4:4) And over and over in Deuteronomy we read Moses telling the about-to-cross-the-Jordan Israelites of how they will be blessed if they follow God’s Word, and warns against going against it.
Jeremiah reminds us: “I, the LORD, alone probe the mind and test the heart, to reward everyone according to his ways, according to the merit of his deeds.” (Jeremiah 17:10)…echoed by St. Paul: “…He will render to every man according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life…” (Romans 2:6-7) … and Jesus’ own exhortation: “… the Son of man is to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay every man for what he has done.” (Matthew 16:26-27)
As the election approaches, the nation needs all the prayers it can get! So, in this week of All Saints, let us join our own prayers with the prayers of the saints for our nation, that it know peace and prosperity and goodness both within and outside its borders. And that whoever is elected will be given wisdom and grace to govern in ways pleasing to God; such can only benefit all.
As for ourselves, let’s remember St. Paul expounding on saintly virtues: “I…beg you to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love…” (Ephesians 4:1-2)
Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.