Saints are not Superheros

by Elia Cardenas, DMin, Associate Director

Soon we will be celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints, a special day to remember all those people who have been part of our lives and who are no longer with us today. Our dear Pope Francis used to say that “the Saints are not superheros,” they are people like you and me who lived normal lives with joys and sorrows, but with radical love and hope in their lives. We find comfort in thinking that those who have left us physically are still present among us through our memories or the love and values they instilled in us. We celebrate them all in the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. 

These festivities offer us a moment of grace as we set up an ofrenda (offering) for our beloved departed family and friends. These are saints who were invisible to the world, seeking neither recognition nor glory, but have shown us through their example of love and compassion how to draw closer to God in our daily lives. As you light a candle and say a prayer for them, I invite you to remember their love and those stories that will make them present once again, in what we call the Communion of All Saints.