“Let us often recall all the actions of the life of our Beloved so that we may imitate them.” [1]
Today marks the annual Christian feast of All Saints Day, commemorating those who preceded us and are recognized as saints for their exemplary lives of faith and service. Regardless of your background, you probably know a few official Catholic saints, starting with Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac, of whom we speak often around here. Or you may know of Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, influential in early Catholic education in the United States and founder of the Sisters of Charity, a part of the Vincentian family. Perhaps you’ve also heard of such popular Christian saints as Saint Francis of Assisi, founder of the Franciscans, Saint Dominic, founder of the Dominicans, or Saint Ignatius of Loyola, founder of the Jesuits. Each of them are remembered and honored for the way in which they modeled values and virtues that we admire and for their long lasting legacies sustained by their followers.
Beyond formally recognized saints, we might also take this opportunity to consider those in our own lives, whether living or dead, personally known or admired from afar, who have shown us a way of living that we admire and may even want to emulate. It has been said that saints are people through whom God’s light shines.
We may never think of ourselves as being anywhere near the level of sainthood, and yet even in our simple and sometimes fumbling humanity, in any moment or situation of our lives, we can be people through whom love and generosity shine for the benefit of others. As we reflect this month on those who have gone before us, let us be inspired by the evidence of goodness in the lives of so many others and the way they have helped to show us a way forward. May we each contribute plenty of evidence of a similar goodness in the way we live our lives here in our DePaul community and beyond.
For your reflection:
Who has modeled a way of living that you aspire to emulate? Who are the people who have preceded you in history who have been torchbearers for you, lighting the way forward? Who have you learned from … perhaps simply by watching the way they live their lives … and who has inspired or challenged you to grow into new levels of wholeness, service, or commitment?
Share your responses to these questions in the comments below!
Reflection by: Mark Laboe, Associate VP, Mission and Ministry
Please join us for our annual Gathering of Remembrance honoring the lives of loved ones and family members of those in our DePaul community. The gathering will be broadcast on Wednesday, November 17th at 4:00 pm as a premiere video on YouTube Live.
[1] A.27, On the Pure Love We Have Vowed to God, Spiritual Writings of Louise de Marillac, 829. Available at: https://via.library.depaul.edu/ldm/.