All Saints Day 1.11.20 Making sure of salvation
Today we celebrate the entry into Heaven of countless people, including very likely many we have known, such as our own family. Anyone who does get to Heaven is a saint, and they make up the ALL Saints of today’s feast.
It is comforting to know that ordinary people can get to Heaven. We do not have to be as good as the canonised saints.
Just how good do we have to be?
We must have at least some life in the soul; be in a state of grace. That will get us at least as far as Purgatory, and eventually Heaven. We want to be in a state of grace all the time, in case of sudden death.
While we can be aware of minimum requirements, it is much more helpful if we aim as high as possible.
We could think: Well, if the ordinary can make Heaven then I will be ordinary too, not exerting myself to do more than the bare minimum.
However if we are sensitive to the promptings of God we will see that God is attractive, that holiness is attractive and that is the path to follow.
It takes a little effort on our part but we do not begrudge that.
God wants us to apply some effort because that will engage our attention, and enable us to discover certain things we would never manage otherwise.
We will discover the joy of being in close union with Almighty God, a greater joy than any earthly experience could give us.
God wants us to reach a point where we love Him for His own sake, not just for what He can do for us.
At the end of time the question will be: Do you love Me?
We can love God to different degrees. We are meant to hunger for more, to seek God and all His goodness.
With this understanding we do not see prayer or other religious observances as a burden; they become attractive as well. It is a joy to pray as we sense coming closer to God.
It is a matter of desire. If we desire something enough we will easily discard other lesser desires.
Are we certain of getting to heaven? Some claim that they are certain; that they have made a decisive choice once and for all.
Others will claim certainty simply be relying on God’s love. If God loves me then He will not send me to Hell. This latter position is very common these days. There is no serious fear of Hell in such cases.
We are supposed to be confident of salvation but not complacent about it. Even St Paul said he had to be careful he would not fall (1 Cor 9,27).
Salvation is a process rather than a point in time. We are growing into our salvation rather than claiming to possess it like money in the bank.
Growing in the love of God is the best way forwards. We do not measure out our response; we simply go for more, then more again.
We seek to love God more each day than the day before.
We let ourselves be absorbed into His world. We grow in holiness, praying more, doing more good deeds.
If we fall, we quickly repent and get back on course.
By a combination of being good - or being sorry that we have not been so – we reach Heaven ourselves.
Not by our own merits but by the saving merits of Christ.
There we join in perpetual gratitude with the heavenly chorus (Rev 15,3).
All holy men and women pray for us. All angels and saints pray for us.
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