Gretchen’s definition of saints: Ordinary people who err on the side of love.
There are so many moments when my boys fight and grumble and whine and wrestle with each other. But there are also so many more moments where they err on the side of love.
Yesterday, we held an indoor candy hunt for them. They didn’t even seem to realize that anything was different this Halloween. Instead, they enthusiastically searched the living room, office, and kitchen to find simple bags of candy. “I hid 33 of them, so you each get 11 and then you stop!” I told them right before the hunt. We have learned through many Easter egg battles that we have to try and help them be fair.
My oldest son found his 11 fast, and then I noticed a special thing happen. He started to help his brothers seek their candy. At one point he showed a twin two bags of candy. That twin had not reached 11, but still he called for his brother to join him and so together they could collect 8 and 8, 9 and 9, all the way to 11.
Though digging into delicious candy was well within their grasp, they slowed down to act on the side of love.
I have heard the saints described as people who let the light shine through them (check out today’s usccb video reflection for more on that) which I think is such a beautiful image. Last year for All Saints Day, I wrote about saints being the ones who err on the side of love (check my bio for that link). I think I like this still… To me, saints are human, imperfect in their nature, sinful, and messy… but in the end, they err on the side of love and it makes all the difference.
This week, more than any in our recent memory, we are being called to err on the side of love. Let us treat one another with compassion. Let us allow each other to peacefully vote our consciences.
Let us remember who we are called to be this Tuesday no matter what happens. God is begging us to err on the side of love.
God is inviting us to live into our sanctity.
Let us not disappoint.
