Remembering Loretto’s saints and holy souls

“There’s a great day coming by and by,” goes a line in an old familiar Black spiritual hymn. (“There’s a Great Day Coming,” words and music by Will L. Thompson, 1886)

Yes, there is a “great day coming.” And it might already be here. Look around! Listen to the daily news or see the kindness of a neighbor to find both holy souls and saints. They know of the great day. They know the words of the teacher Parker Palmer: “We are called to live an undivided life.” We are people coming together to foster and support each other on the journey.

What Palmer is writing about are people who search for truth: Saints and holy souls. You know who they are. Look about you. Look at family and friends, work colleagues, your church family, your religious community. Look at yourself. For when we look for saints and holy souls, we are looking for God among us. Saints and holy souls “preach good news to the poor, proclaim release to prisoners and recovery of sight to the blind, and proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” They read Luke 4:18-19. And so should we.

Lots of people in therapy sessions ask, “Who am I?” The question really is, “Whose am I?” All people of faith know the answer. We are a people, saints and sinners, holy souls who know the heart of God’s love. We reconcile ourselves when in conflict, we speak our truth out loud, we offer more to others than they want to claim, we love those who don’t love us and by grace we are people of justice and peace, we are your neighbors, we are your community. We are saints and holy souls.

The “great day is coming.” Be ready!

As we begin our journey together through this month of All Saints and All Souls, this week we remember Loretto’s saints and holy souls who have gone before us in the past year.

Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let Your perpetual light shine upon them.

May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace.

Amen.