J.M.J.
Who is the G.O.A.T.? This question seems
to be asked with increasing frequency in discussions about athletes, banjo
players and poets.
G.O.A.T. is the acronym for “Greatest of
All Time.” A person with even a little knowledge about who that is in any field
of endeavor likely demonstrates an appreciation for skill and achievement.
Who the G.O.A.T. is among the Saints in
Heaven is known only to God and really matters little to us. What we know is
that all in Paradise are there thanks to the Lord’s unceasing mercy and their
cooperation with His grace.
We gladly venerate all the Saints in
Heaven. These men and women, boys and girls are now “in
glory, contemplating ‘in full light, God Himself triune and one, exactly as He
is.’” (Catechism of the Catholic Church,
954) These are the disciples of Christ who have already inherited the sweet, unending
reward for their labors. Some have been canonized, others have not. But each is
part of the Church Triumphant that is radiant near the throne of the Most
Blessed Trinity.
There is no rivalry in
Paradise. There is no division into teams for a celestial All Star Game. There
are no rookies of the year, signing bonuses, playoffs or championship trophies.
Each Saint delights in the sanctity of his brothers and sisters and looks
forward t the day when many more will enter Heaven.
The secret of the Saints is
they accepted the burdens of fidelity not for their own prestige and glory but
for God’s. They learned the lesson that to follow the Lord Jesus Christ from
Bethlehem to Cana to Calvary to the empty tomb to the Mount of Olives is not a
self-congratulatory exercise but rather a heroic self-surrender to the wise
will of the Father as the Good Shepherd Himself did.
We confidently address the
Saints in our joys and sorrows. Close to God, the Saints understand well our
needs. They experienced many of the same.
A publication entitled, “Saint
Worship?” by Catholic Answers offers a useful insight into the Church’s
encouragement to honor the Saints in Heaven. “The
most important form of honoring the Saints, to which all the other forms are
related, is the imitation of them in their relationship with God. Paul wrote
extensively about the importance of spiritual imitation. He stated: ‘I urge
you, then, be imitators of me. Therefore I sent to you Timothy, my beloved and
faithful child in the Lord, to remind you of my ways in Christ, as I teach them
everywhere in every church’ (1 Corinthians 4:16–17). The author of the book of
Hebrews also stresses the importance of imitating true spiritual leaders: ‘Remember
your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God; consider the outcome of
their life, and imitate their faith’ (Hebrews 13:7).”
Even I can
imitate the Saints? God’s call to spiritual perfection has been sounded ever
since Jesus began His public ministry. The invitation is extended to all
though, sadly, it is often not heard because of the clanging noise provided by
various enticements that the world considers as more essential than holiness—wealth
and power being chief among them. That is not to claim that money and authority
do not have their place. But it a place, and these do not outstrip sanctity.
No one can
look into another’s soul and judge his or her relationship with the Lord. Those
whom we would quickly reject as unworthy may one day become some of the
loftiest stars in the heavenly sky.
The Litany of Loreto acknowledges the
Ever-Virgin Mary as the Queen of All Saints. She is the model and pattern of
virtue. She keeps close to her Immaculate Heart those who love her Son and seek
to follow Him.
The summons to sanctity comes from God.
Each of us has received it through Baptism. Now, it must be realized. We can
join the Saints in Heaven not for a contest but for an eternity of giving
thanks to the Creator Who made us and calls us to Himself.
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