What Kind of Witness Will We Leave?

  

Readings 110126

Blessed be God. Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.
Come, Holy Spirit. Fill us with Your joy,
set our hearts ablaze with Your presence. Amen.

Yesterday, I was the funeral of my Aunt, Gloria Jeanne Kerry,
a woman of deep faith, quiet holiness, and steadfast love.
Afterward, I stayed behind to bless the graves
at the cemetery behind Holy Rosary Catholic Church.
My grandfather built that church.
He built the pews.
He helped build a community of faith
that kept those doors open for generations.
But time changes things.
The young people moved away.
Earlier this month, Holy Rosary closed its doors.

As I walked among those graves,
I was surrounded by memories:
my great-grandparents, my grandparents, my father,
aunts, uncles, and cousins
stretching across generations.
And I was reminded that our lives are much bigger
than the few years we spend on this earth.
We are part of a story
that began long before us
and, by God's grace, will continue long after us.

That is the Solemnity of All Saints:
Holiness is both our calling in this life
and our destiny in the next.

A saint is an ordinary person
who allowed God's grace
to do extraordinary things.
Holiness is not for a special few.
It is the invitation for each of us.

Saint John says to us today:
"See what love the Father has bestowed on us,
that we may be called children of God."
Notice what he does not say.
He does not say, "Work hard enough, and God might love you."
He says we are God's children. Already.
We do not pursue holiness to earn God's love.
We pursue holiness because God has already loved us.

As I finished blessing those graves,
people came and asked for a blessing.
Conversations began. Seeds were planted.
The community is smaller than it once was,
but God is still working.
Faith is still passing from one heart to another.

One day, others will stand where we now stand.
They will visit our graves.
They will tell our stories.
So the question becomes:
What kind of witness will we leave behind?

Today the saints answer with one voice: "It is possible!"
Not because they were perfect,
but because they allowed God to transform them.
May we do the same.

Be good. Be holy.
Let us preach the Gospel
by the way we live,
by the way we love,
and by the way we forgive.

Praise be Jesus Christ, now and forever. Amen.