Feast of All Saints
FEAST OF ALL SAINTS
In the world of comic books, civilians find themselves being threatened on a regular basis. The conventional authorities are called in, but they never seem to be up to the task at hand. Sooner or later, the super-heroes have to make their presence felt. If an individual super-hero comes to your defense (someone like Spider-Man), you’ll jump for joy. But just imagine what it would feel like to have a team of super-heroes looking out for your welfare! Suppose, for example, that it’s the Fantastic Four arriving on the scene. Initially you are thrilled. And yet, it concerns you that only three members appear to be present and accounted for. You would prefer to have all four present and accounted for. Three might not be enough.
Eventually, you breathe a sigh of relief. You have come to recognize that all four members are in fact present and accounted for. You forgot about the fourth member and her ability to become invisible. So now you are experiencing a sense of reassurance. Yes, the situation qualifies as a legitimate crisis. But you have a super-team supporting you—a super team operating at full strength. Because of this, we can say that a difficult situation is now beginning to look more and more like a manageable situation.
Sometimes, the difficult situation ends up being life itself. We struggle as we make our way through the journey of life. In our search for support, we inevitably reconnect with the faith; we want whatever it is that Heaven can provide. We lean on God the Father, seeking his special brand of providential care. We lean on Jesus the Son, who reveals himself as our eternal Shepherd. We lean on the Holy Spirit so that we can be enriched with a fresh outpouring of sanctifying grace. We take comfort in the Blessed Virgin Mary and the gift of her maternal patronage. And finally, we draw strength and direction from all that has been handed down to us within the pages of Sacred Scripture.
You begin to wonder, however: Have all the lines of support been accounted for? Is it possible that something has been overlooked? In our example from earlier, we nearly overlooked the member who turns herself invisible. Perhaps we are repeating that theme by overlooking those who make up the Invisible Church. We take note of the Visible Church when we gather for our celebration of the Mass. Think for example about the people in the pews, seated beside you, in front of you, and behind you. That’s what we mean when we speak of the Visible Church. You can’t help but acknowledge the Visible Church. But what about the Invisible Church?
Here is where we may need to practice a measure of discernment. According to Paul, our task involves looking beyond what is seen, to what is unseen (2nd Cor. 4:18). When you worship at the Mass, try to appreciate the invisible members who are united with you in your cause. In other words, pay attention to the Saints. They offer worship in conjunction with the worship that you are offering. They inspire us through the example of their holy lives. And furthermore, they have the capacity to serve as our prayer partners. When you are facing a challenge, keep in mind that the Saints are prepared to pray for you. They represent an invisible resource, looking on from their Heavenly vantage-point. By invoking them, you are taking full advantage of the Heavenly support that is being made available to you.
So continue to call upon God the Father. Continue to call upon Jesus the Son. Continue to tap into the dynamic flow of the Spirit. Continue to depend upon the Blessed Virgin for her motherly assistance. Continue to reflect upon the Sacred Word. And try not to overlook those who belong to the Invisible Church. No, they may not be super-heroes. But the contribution they make can, for all practical purposes, be described as “super.”
