The Saints as Stained Glass Windows I think of the saints as stained-glass  windows. An ordinary window lets in the sunlight but the stained-glass window gives colour, shape and story to the light. The saints in their various ways show us how to live the Christian life. The saints manifest the holy side of the Church. They give shape, story and colour to the light of God. They inspire us by their holy lives, instruct us by their teaching and give us their protection in answer to our prayers. Saint Therese of Lisieux promised, “I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth.” This November let us recall the light of our beautiful saints that are publicly venerated and especially those we have personally known and loved . Movie of the week on You Tube Bravery Under Fire tells the story of Fr Willie Doyle SJ the Heroic Irish Priest & World War 0ne Army Chaplain Who Died Saving Soldiers 

I know a lot of Saints, I do! So let me mention just a few: I know someone who runs a team and teaches kids to play and dream, Who stands in cold and wind and rain on days they play and nights they train; Someone who’s there when we are sad The best the gentlest friend we’ve had ,Someone who says, ‘Just do your best’, when I am scared to take a test; A friend who takes the time to show how things were done so long ago; ; A teacher who just always knows where that comma always goes; and others who are kind and good, Who try to act as Jesus would, Who show God’s love in all they do. I know a lot of saints, don’t you? Christy Kenneally

The Beatitudes are the Qualities that Jesus asks us to live byin the Sermon on the Mount One of the most striking aspects of All Saints’ Day is its universality. Unlike feasts dedicated to specific saints, this day commemorates all the holy men and women who have faithfully followed Christ, even if their names and deeds are lost to history. At its heart, All Saints’ Day is an expression of hope. It points to the transformative power of God’s grace, which turns ordinary people into extraordinary witnesses of love, charity, and faith. The saints, in all their diversity, provide us with a glimpse of what it means to live in communion with God. It reminds us that sainthood is not limited to a select few who achieved great fame or accomplished extraordinary feats; rather, it encompasses countless individuals whose lives, while perhaps quiet or humble, were nonetheless deeply rooted in faith. These are the mothers and fathers, the workers and neighbours, the ordinary people who lived out their discipleship in simple yet profound ways. This day calls us to remember that holiness is not reserved for the few but is open to all of us. In the Beatitudes which are often read on All Saints’ Day Jesus lays out the path to holiness in a way that is both universal and personal. Blessed are the poor in spirit, the meek, the peacemakers, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. These words reveal that sainthood is less about perfection & more about a life oriented toward God & others. The saints are models for us, not because they were sinless, but because they allowed God’s grace to work in and through them, even in their weakness