I Like Big S Saints & I Cannot Lie!

Upon Reflection:  I remember when I first tried to teach high school students about “big S” Saints and “little s” saints.  Halfway through, I finally realized why they were all laughing.  They thought I was referring to the size of their behinds!  “No,” I explained, “I am sure that all the Saints come in a variety of shapes and sizes, but I am referring to those Saints that have been canonized by we the Church and those saints whom we all know in our lives.”  But upon further reflection, perhaps it wouldn’t be so wrong to think of saints in that misinterpreted way.  If there is anything that the Solemnity of All Saints and the Gospel reading proclaimed teach us, it is that no matter how big or small one is, we all have the ability to put on the mind of Christ.  His attitude is what our attitude ought to be and can be.  It is truly amazing how one’s attitude or disposition in life is at the heart of sainthood.  Both big S and little s saints are quintessential Christians.  As Pope Francis writes, “The Christian can see with the eyes of Jesus and share in his mind, his filial disposition, because he or she shares in his love, which is the Spirit.”  Those who take on the attitude of Jesus, that is, those who KNOW that the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the hungry and thirsty, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, and the insulted are blessed by God, are the ones who we would call saints.  Some of them even officially become recognized as Saints.  But no matter if they have “big S’s” or “little s’s” they all have a comfortable seat at the Table of the Kingdom of heaven!  And there is a custom-made, specially molded seat prepared for each one of us as well.  All we have to do is claim it with a Christ-like attitude.