On the Solemnity of All Saints, we take up the words of the Holy Father in his Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, published on the 19th March 2018. "What I would like to recall with this Exhortation is above all the call to holiness that the Lord makes to each one of us," writes Pope Francis, emphasizing the importance of knowing how to discern one's own path in order to bring out "the best of oneself, what is so personal that God has placed in each of us."
We are all called to be witnesses of God's love, and the richness of the Spirit is manifested precisely in the many ways in which men and women, down the centuries, have shown their love for the Lord. But "there is no need to be discouraged when we contemplate models of holiness that seem unattainable", says the Holy Father, praising and exalting the so-called "saints next door": parents who raise their children with so much love, in the men and women who work and toil to bring bread home, in elderly religious who continue to smile. Moreover, if one were to think that holiness can only be achieved by hermits or by those who live far from daily worries, the Pontiff reminds us that it is in everyday life, in one's own context of life, work, social and economic, that we can become saints: "Are you a consecrated man or woman? Be holy by joyfully living your giving. Are you married? Be holy by loving and caring for your husband or wife, as Christ did for the Church. Are you a worker? Be holy by carrying out your work in the service of your brothers and sisters with honesty and competence. Are you a parent or grandmother or grandparent? Be holy by patiently teaching children to follow Jesus. Do you have authority? Be holy by fighting for the common good and renouncing your own personal interests."
When we feel the weight of life, let us always remember that, by virtue of our Baptism, we have the strength of the Holy Spirit to sustain us in the small and great battles of every day. Who is a saint today? They are those women and men who decide to "unite themselves to the Lord's death and resurrection in a unique and personal way", to "die and rise again and again with him", to "live contemplation even in the midst of action", and to sanctify themselves "in the responsible and generous exercise of their mission".
Every Christian, in his response to the call to holiness, becomes more fruitful for the world.
Read the full text of the Apostolic Exhortation "Gaudete et Exsultate" : Italiano - English - Español
