All Saints Day

There are more than 2,000 saints, and only 365 days in the calendar. So today the Church celebrates the life of all the saints. If we want to be holy, let us learn the lives of the saints, who are models of Christian life. Let us learn what motivated them and what they valued. Our Holy Father Pope Benedict XVI teaches us in his exhortation Sacrament of Love, that "the Eucharist is at the root of every form of holiness, and each of us is called to the fullness of life in the Holy Spirit." He then exclaims, "How many saints have advanced along the way of perfection thanks to their eucharistic devotion!" Pope John Paul II also pointed out the close relationship that the saints had with our Lord in the Eucharist: "In them the theology of the Eucharist takes on all the splendor of a lived reality; it becomes contagious and, in a manner of speaking, it warms our hearts" (Ecclesia de Eucharistia). He invited us to learn from the saints: "Let us take our place, dear brothers and sisters, at the school of the saints, who are the great interpreters of true Eucharistic piety (Ecclesia de Eucharistia)."

Let's be obedient and take a look at a couple of snaptshots in the life of the following Augustinian Saints: John of Sahagun, Nicholas of Tolentine, and Rita of Cascia.

Saint John of Sahagun (1430-1479) was a sincere and humble man; he was a noted preacher, whose devotion to the Eucharist marked all aspects of his life.

A story relates that Saint Nicholas of Tolentine (1245-1305) while asleep in bed, heard the voice of a deceased Friar he had known. This Friar told Nicholas that he was in Purgatory, and urged him to celebrate the Eucharist for him and other souls there.

During the last four years of life, St. Rita of Cascia (1380-1456) was confined to bed and was able to eat so little that she was practically sustained by the Eucharist alone.

To read their complete biographies click here.

Posted by Carlos J. Medina