Part 2, Chapter 16
We are surrounded! The book of Hebrews says, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses” (12: 1a). We not in this alone; God gives us help. We have those Saints who have gone before us who witness to the faith. Whether we pay attention to how they lived their lives by reading writings about them, or reading their actual writings, the Saints show us how to live. They are our brothers and sisters in Christ who have fought the good fight and have won the race. They live forever with God in Heaven. They show us that the race can be won and they show us how it can be done. They don’t just show us what we should imitate; rather they show us that we need to be in communion with God. Because they are living with God, they show us that to be a Saint; we need to have communion with God. That is what they show us.
The Saints desire, as does God, that we be in Heaven. They want us to get to Heaven. They are praying for us and we can ask them to intercede before the Most Holy Trinity for us. The Saints want for us to be living and walking in the devout life, so when we ask them to pray, they are looking to pray for the graces and blessings that will help us to follow the Lord. “The souls of the holy dead, resting in paradise, who are, as our Lord himself has told us, as the angels in heaven (Lk 25:36), are also united to us in their prayers” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 58). These Saints are praying that we will decrease and the Lord will increase. What a great blessing having this cloud of witnesses praying with and for us. We are able to enter the Communion of the Saints and that is what Heaven is about, total Communion with God!
Mother Mary, Jesus mother, is our MOTHER!!!! She is a Saint and she lives forever with her Father, her Son and her Spouse, the Holy Spirit. What utter beauty this would be. The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit revere and respect her, so should we. “Let us think of her with all the love and confidence of affectionate children; let us desire her love, and strive with true filial hearts to imitate her graces” (Introduction to the Devout Life, 58). We should have a relationship with Mary; she leads us to the Trinity. She guides us there, and as a good mother, she tries to lead her children into communion. Her deepest desire is that we be in complete communion with God. We should ask Mary to lead and guide us to God.
Get to know the SAINTS; they will help lead us to PARADISE!!!!!!!!!!