For all the saints

Saints are people the Son Shines through

A young boy went with his parents touring around Europe one summer. Part of their tour included visits to the great old cathedrals of the past. As he visited cathedral after cathedral he was impressed by the massive stained glass portraits of the disciples and of other saints as he stood in their great empty halls looking through the beautiful stained glass windows.

Upon returning home, he was asked by his Sunday School teacher about holiday on the continent, and what he liked the most. He thought for a moment of those great churches and their grand windows and he said, “I loved the sense of awe and the hugeness of who God must be, and I loved the stained glass windows with their images of the saints.”

“And what is a saint?” his teacher asked. His mind went back to those beautiful windows and he said, “A saint is a person the light shines through.”

In John 12:35-36 we find Jesus saying, “For a brief time still, the light is among you. Walk by the light you have so darkness doesn’t destroy you. If you walk in darkness, you don’t know where you’re going. As you have the light, believe in the light. Then the light will be within you, and shining through your lives. You’ll be children of light.”

We are children of light, when your compassion radiates and pervades the world. When our minds are in higher consciousness and heart is full with compassion, our deeds will glorify the humanity and the Father in the heaven. Perhaps it is important to remember that in order to be lights, we must first be enlightened ourselves.

Heavenly Father, may we be light bearers for You; alongside those who are living in the shadow of pain, fear, loneliness or any other trouble. Let the beauty of Your life-giving light transform every aspect of our community and bring joy and hope to  everyone we meet. Please send Your Holy Spirit to guide us in our prayers for them and spur us into action to bless others. In the power of Christ. Amen.