This weekend’s passage from the Holy Gospel is brief, but filled with hope! Listen to this verse, “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life.” This verse indicates that God wills to save all people. We are encouraged to believe that everyone who endeavors to “move toward Jesus” in their lifetime will be raised up on the last day to the glory of eternal life. Have you ever given much thought to the word “eternal?” It’s difficult for us to comprehend this word because everything for us on earth has an ending. Eternal connotes…withoutbeginning or end…lasting forever. Whoa! Can you imagine being happy, peaceful, and without pain or fear FOREVER? This is what Jesus promises us if we are faithful to Him on earth. Of course, none of us (other than the Blessed Mother) is free from sin. The wonderful thing about knowing and believing in Jesus is being assured that Jesus is ALWAYS ready to forgive us. He WANTS us to come to Him and ask for mercy and forgiveness. It doesn’t get any better than that! This weekend, we celebrate “Saints Day and Souls Day.” On November 1, we gave thanks for all the disciples of Jesus who earnestly tried to live the Gospel message. There are thousands of those people. We know the names of some of them because they have been officially canonized by the Church. We know the names of others because we personally interfaced with them (your grandmother?, a mentor of yours ?, your favorite nun?, etc.). Each of these persons can serve as a model for us when it comes to being kind, and compassionate, and selfless. Thank you, God, for allowing us to know them! On Sunday, November 2, we remember all those people who have passed from this life to the next and await the everlasting glory of heaven. When we were younger, we were taught to pray for “The Poor Souls in Purgatory” on All Souls Day. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines purgatory as a "purification, so as to achieve the holiness necessary to enter the joy of heaven," which is experienced by those "who die in God’s grace and friendship, but still are imperfectly purified.” It notes that"this final purification of the elect . . . is entirely different from the punishment of hell." The purification is necessary because, as Scripture teaches, nothing unclean will enter the presence of God in heaven (Rev. 21:27) and, while we may die with our greatest sins forgiven, there can still be many impurities in us. And so, on this weekend, we give thanks for ALL who have heard the message of Jesus and have zealously committed to living it. In addition, we recognize that all of us are imperfect as human beings. On All Souls Day, we pray for those persons who have passed from this life and are waiting to enter the Kingdom of God. A traveler reported a sign on the wall of a restaurant in Wyoming, "If you find your steak tough, walk out quietly. This is no place for weaklings." Sainthood is not for weaklings! Felix Adler put it like this: "The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for men to see by. The saint is the man who walks through the dark paths of the world, himself a light. Saints are people we look up to. They are people of integrity who will stand their ground regardless of the standard the world may set. GOSPEL HOMEWORK OF THE WEEK: Take a moment to identify the saints in your life…then thank them if they are still living…pray for them if they have gone home to God.