Dear brothers and sisters, today we celebrate a feast that is full of light and hope. A feast that raises our gaze to heaven – not to escape from the earth, but to better see what God is doing here, among us. The feast of All Saints reminds us that holiness is not an exception but a vocation. It is not a distant ideal, intended only for a few, but God’s plan for each of us. On March 19, 2018, the then Pope Francis issued an exhortation—encouragement on holiness—and gave it the title “Rejoice and be glad”—”Gaudete et exultate”. These are the last words we hear in today’s Gospel about Jesus’ Beatitudes. At that time, the psalm was read in one breath, as they say. Pope Francis says in this exhortation, Gaudete et exsultate: “Holiness is near you; it is not far away, not even for a chosen few. It is present in the People of God who are faithful, in parents who raise their children with love, in men and women who work honestly, in the sick, the elderly, religious who smile… In this perseverance I see the holiness of the Church—a holiness that can be called the holiness of the next door” (GE 6-7). And it is precisely this holiness that we want to reflect on today: a holiness that is close, concrete, and joyful.
Holiness that is near—a cloud of witnesses around us …
In the first reading from the Book of Revelation of Saint John we heard the words: “After this I looked; and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes…” (Rev 7:9) This is an image of the Church in its fullness—a multitude of saints who already stand before God. It is not just a crowd of well-known saints from the calendar. It also includes our loved ones who lived the faith quietly but faithfully.
As Pope Francis says, “Among them may be our mother, grandmother, or other loved ones. Perhaps their lives were not perfect, but in the midst of imperfections they followed the Lord and pleased him.” (GE 3) This is a beautiful thought—holiness has a human face. The face of our ancestors, friends, and people who passed on the faith to us. It spoke to me then, because I thought of the people I had met in my life. Yes, there was also an official saint among them, Saint John Paul II, but I thought of my parents, grandparents, and my aunts and uncles from my hometown of Medvedzie, now part of the city of Tvrdošín.
Brothers and sisters, we are not alone. We live surrounded by those who have already run their race and who encourage us to continue. Holiness is not something distant—it is close to us, in our families, in our parish, and in our city. It is the holiness of quiet, faithful people, whom perhaps no one celebrates, but God knows them by name. And perhaps this is the most beautiful face of the Church: not triumphant, but human, humble, radiant with love.
A holiness that is concrete—in the details of everyday life …
Pope Francis often emphasizes that holiness is lived in concreteness, not in illusions. It is not a holiness “on a screen,” but a holiness of flesh and blood. Jesus himself was a master of attention to detail. The Pope says, “Let us remember how Jesus invited his disciples to pay attention to details: The small detail that the wine ran out at the wedding. The small detail that one sheep was missing. The small detail that the widow gave her two coins. The small detail is that it was necessary to have oil for the lamps when the bridegroom was late. The small detail that he asked the disciples to find out how many loaves they had. The small detail that he had a fire and fish ready when he awaited the disciples at dawn.” (GE 144) Jesus saw God in the little things—and that is where our holiness begins. What would this call to holiness in the small everyday details sound like today?
– a small detail when a mother gets up at night and fixes her child’s duvet,
– a small detail when a father brings his tired wife a cup of coffee,
– a small detail when a grandmother takes a sweet chocolate bar for her grandson from the cupboard,
– a small detail when a son gets up from the table at the end of lunch and tells his parents, ” Leave it; I’ll wash it.
– a small detail when a teacher patiently explains the topic covered in class once again.
– a small detail: when at a gas station, when you pay for gas, the employee wishes us a peaceful day and a safe journey with a smile.
– a small detail when in the evening in prayer we say, “God, thank you for this day, thank you for this person…”
These small acts of love—this is where holiness becomes flesh. Not in extraordinaryness, but in ordinariness. Not in perfection, but in fidelity. Holiness is an everyday “”yes”—in the kitchen, at work, at school, in the hospital, and in the family. It is a concrete holiness of love, measured by service and patience.
A holiness that is joyful—the most beautiful face of the Church …
Finally, holiness is not a burden but a joy. Pope Francis says, “A true saint is a person who has joy in his heart. Sorrow is not a sign of holiness.” (GE 122) Holiness without joy would be only a duty. But the holiness that springs from God’s love is like a light – quiet but radiant. The joy of holiness is not superficial. It is the joy of a person who knows Christ, trusts in Him, and knows that even through the cross, the way leads to life. And this is the most beautiful face of the Church. Not power, not success, not flawlessness, but the face of people who live with joy, in love and in service. This joy of the saints transforms the world more than any program. It is a joy that says, “God is with us.” And this joy is contagious—it opens hearts and gives hope to the world.
Brothers and sisters, today’s feast invites us to look at holiness with new eyes. Not as an unattainable ideal, but as a gift that God offers to each of us. Holiness is not for the perfect, but for those who love. It is for those who get up and keep going, not for those who have never fallen. Not for those who are without fault, but for those who believe that God’s grace is greater than their weakness. Therefore, today, as we remember the great multitude of saints, let us also think of those who have walked before us—our parents, grandparents, teachers, friends, and all the “saints next door.” Stay after Holy Mass in our cathedral. Go to the relics of these saints and let us be encouraged by them so that we too today may live a holiness that is
– close—because God walks with us,
– concrete—because love is lived in the little things,
– joyful—because holiness is the most beautiful face of the Church. Amen.
