“The only great sadness in life is not to become a saint.” — Leon Bloy

Churches in the Roman Catholic or Orthodox traditions typically have images of saints on the sanctuary wall, usually including famous saints like St. Paul or St. Augustine or St. Mary. However, I’ve heard of Protestant churches that include on the wall paintings of former members of the congregation—the people who once worshiped in those very pews. It’s a vivid reminder that the “cloud of witnesses” and the “communion of saints” is made up of ordinary people, not just the famous saints.

On All Saints Day we remember all the faithful who lived and died in Christ, some of them known to us personally, hardly any of them famous in the world at large.

The British theologian Samuel Wells makes a distinction between a “hero” and a “saint.” A hero, he says, is someone who saves the day. A hero is at the center of an inspiring story. “By contrast, the saint is not necessarily a crucial character. The saint may be almost invisible, easily missed, quickly forgotten. The hero’s story is always about the hero. The saint is always at the periphery of a story that is really about God.”

The hero is someone whose virtues are extraordinary. “By contrast, the saint may well not have any great qualities. The saint may not be strong, brave, clever, or opportunistic. But the saint is faithful.”

As we mark All Saints Day this coming Sunday at Ascension, we have the chance to think about those who were not perfect, but who nevertheless reflected the light of Christ to us. We will have the opportunity to light a candle in memory of those who now rest in God and to give thanks for their faithful witness.

See you in church,

Pastor David