This is an interesting time of year in the life of some Christians. November 1st is all Saint’s Day in the Catholic tradition, and the day after is All Soul’s Day. In South America both days are sort of lumped into one comprehensive celebration known as Día De Los Muertos or The Day of the Dead.
Before all this on October 31st is Halloween, not typically considered a Christian tradition, but a tradition none the less that many recognize. I consider this a kind of celebration where we look at what scares us and scare it back, as it to say, “Boo! You can’t scare me, you scary thing!” Additionally, a good old-fashioned candy bar makes facing our fears delicious.
One might think it strange that all these occasions are lumped together somehow.
Why would we celebrate the scary, then saints - people set apart of Divine like qualities, then just everyday people who have passed? Some of us do not observe Halloween, but even then, then it’s still a weird combination.
Well, I think we all have within us Saint-like qualities. How could we not contain Divine-like traits when we were created, as scripture says, in the image and likeness of God?
I am not alone in this. Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., is a professor of philosophy at Boston College. He wrote an article for the National Catholic Register entitled, “What is a Saint?”
He wrote in part, “Saints are not freaks, or exceptions. They are the standard operating model for human beings. In fact, in the biblical sense of the word, all believers are saints. "Sanctity" means holiness. All men, women, and children, born or unborn, beautiful or ugly, straight or gay, are holy, for they bear the image of God.”
He went on to say that saints are not free from shortcomings, rather, they are aware of them. They know sorrow, they know joy. They know spiritual Truth; rely on the Divine yet are independent.
A saint does not become a saint by preaching and studying. They do so by simply living the Truth they know.
His most profound statement in the article is, “A saint's heart is broken by every little sorrow and sin. A saint's heart is also so strong that not even death can break it. It is indestructible because it's so breakable.”
My friends, it is my thought that because we possess the same spiritual DNA of our Creator, each and every one of us also have indestructible hearts because they are so very breakable.
So it makes sense to me we might look at what scares us, what we can’t explain on one day, then the next, celebrate those who have demonstrated remarkable spiritual lives, and then remember our loved ones who have passed.
It is a crazy emotional roller-coaster, yet we do so.
Why?
Because we can take it.
Perhaps it all simply serves as a reminder of that inherent resilience we each possess through our spiritual DNA.
So, in whatever safe way we can, in this year where we have been called to be resilient, I do hope we will all take a moment to somehow recognize the power of the human heart.
Let us affirm how indestructible each of our hearts are, knowing this is so because they break so easily.
I thank you for reading, be blessed this day.
P.S. Here is a little song that may explain why it is that our hearts are breakable and indescrtuctable at the same time. Enjoy.
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