Since Sunday was All Saints Day, I wanted to ruminate around the idea of saints for my Spiritual Thursday post. Who is a saint?
In modern society, we have a hard time connecting to the martyrdom of Saint Paul and the selflessness of Saint Francis. We’ve come to relegate these Saints to symbols around our necks or in our gardens.
As I listened to the age-old hymn “Saints of God”, I was inspired to wonder about the ordinary saints. “They lived not only in ages past, there are hundreds of thousands still. The world is full of the joyous saints who love to do Jesus’ will.” (Yes, I have the words memorized.)
How to Be an Ordinary Saint
Step out of your old shoes and into another’s.
Comfort a crying child.
Hold the door open.
Give away your cloak.
Follow a faith-led path.
Pray without ceasing.
Write a poem on a card. Send it to someone who is struggling.
Sing a song of hope.
Pay for someone’s coffee.
Read to a child.
Sit with the dying.
Adopt a pet.
Call your mother, father, brother, sister, friend.
Offer a kind word, a knowing smile.
Be open to forgiveness.
Don’t linger on pain.
Love.
When you are out and about, look for those ordinary saints. The ones who open doors, let your car in, tie your shoes. Living in gratitude, noticing the little gracious things people do, spreads all the saint juices around and fills our world with love.
You are invited to the Inlinkz link party!Click here to enter
Reflections on the Teche 
This is beautiful and so true. I have known many ordinary saints. Actually, my best friend is one. She’s always positive, helpful, & kind to all. I also remember a friend of my mother’s and Aunt, who was truly an angel always seeing the good in everyone and encouraged my mother to be kind to me rather than criticize me. Margaret, I think that you are most likely a saint or angel. Thank you for sharing and reminding us that it is always better to be kind. You sent this poem just when I needed to hear it. Definitely, action of an angel or saint. Thank you. I’m going to read your poem to my sister and hopefully, it will help her as it has me.
Margaret: Thanks for this description of ordinary saints. I believe they are all around us, and it is good to remember and be thankful for them. Thanks again.
What a profound and powerful post. I’ve always felt blessed by the saints in my life. In the teaching profession, I was surrounded by them. Great reminder that it’s the little things that can help all of us become saints.
Love the idea of spreading saint juices around. Thanks for your “How to Be an Ordinary Saint” poem. I’m off to write my post.
This was a great topic, Margaret. Life has been very discouraging recently, and this topic makes me reflect on the people God puts in our lives who are such an antidote to discouragement and despair. Ruth, thereisnosuchthingasagodforsakentown.blogspot.com
Margaret, I decided to write about thankfulness but I am interested in contemporary saints who bring kindness into the world. A new one I learned about St. Gianna Molla. She was a doctor, wife, and mother who gin ave her life so her baby could be born. I have been praying to her on a safe delivery for my daughter. Before she announced she was pregnant, my husband and I participated in a beautiful ceremony, exposition of St. Gianna’s relics. Shortly after my husband & I prayed and saw the relics, my daughter announced the news of the 2nd baby. Ordinary saints understand what it takes to bring kindness into the world. Thanks for sharing your lovely poem. The first lines sets the tone of the poem for me.
My post is at https://beyondliteracylink.blogspot.com/2019/11/thankful-blessed.html.