The Cathedral of St. Peter in KCK has wonderful stained glass windows.  They were imported from Europe in 1947 and this time of year, they create a lovely light.  As the season of winter approaches, the sun comes through the windows on the south of the church, washing the interior with the most beautiful reds, blues and yellows that you can imagine.  The images of Christ, Mary and the saints presented in the windows radiate the light of the sun in an explosion of color.

I recall this image each All Saints Day, a day on which the Church commemorates all the people of every space and time who in their lives let the Divine Light shine through their actions in a singular way.  We honor those who through suffering and who through long hours of service allowed the Holy Spirit to cleanse them, to wipe them clean, to make them more perfect windows into the very heart of God.

We get an image in the scriptures today of the saints basking in the light of God.  This encounter with God is the one we all hope to have.

I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count
From every nation, race, people and tongue
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches….
They exclaimed with a loud voice Blessing, glory, thanksgiving be to our God forever.

Today we remember that we, the baptized, are each called to shine our unique reflection of God’s grace in our world.  With our friendship with Jesus as the center of our lives we will understand that Christ shines not just on sunny days, but all the time.  Jesus gives us the road map in the Beatitudes.  We learn that the life of holiness is for those who cry, those who suffer, those who hunger, that is to say, for us!  The Lord promises to be with us when we work for peace in the family and when we are merciful to someone in our workplace.  Jesus sustains us when we are being persecuted for doing the right thing.  We are becoming living signs, showing the world God’s love, God’s mercy, God’s compassion.  We become in our own unique and simple way windows to the sacred.

We do need to do the window cleaning, though.  A daily examination of how we have responded to God’s gift of grace is critical, as is regular reconciliation and attendance at Sunday mass to keep things in perspective.

We are a work in progress, saints in the making.  Today God gives us a simple opportunity to pass his grace along to another.  Gratefully we have the prayers of all who have gone before us to help us.  Be that light of Christ for one another today.  Our goal is nothing less than membership in the Communion of Saints.