I am writing this the on day before Halloween as we approach the Feasts of All Saints and All Souls. The celebration of the Saints is the Church’s way of recognizing certain individuals who led such exemplary lives, rooted in the Beatitudes and the Paschal Mystery of Christ, that the Church firmly believes and declares that these individuals are living in Heaven. They are “canonized” by the Church, encouraging the faithful to pray to these living Saints, imitating their virtuous lives.

From the time I was a child, my parents instilled in me a deep love for Mary by going to services called “novenas” every Tuesday evening and lighting a candle near her statue. Ever since then, Mary has. been an essential part of my spirituality and prayer life. My mom enrolled my sister and I in the St. Jude Auto League and we were taught to pray to this Saint of those who are in a desperate and impossible situation. My mom had great intuition.

I love Mary, the Mother of us all, and also Jude, Francis of Assisi, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Oscar Romero. They have been guides and mentors to me and my priesthood in many ways. They are walking with me in the Camino. I rarely get lonely thanks to their presence.

My devotion to St. Oscar Romero is an enigma: I don’t speak Spanish, my life has never been threatened, my preaching and voice can’t begin to compare. And yet I flew to Rome to witness his canonization as the pope declared him a martyr Saint. I love him and am inspired by his homilies and perseverance.

As I visit the many churches, I see countless statues of the Saints, as they “stand” in niches, motionless in their marble or wooden elements. But the Saints are living, they are alive, they are our constant companions on the journey that is our life. These individuals were human beings with flaws and idiosyncrasies and they sinned, all except Mary, of course. Let’s keep their humanity in tact and assessable, never “adoring” them but only honoring their witness to Christ.

In my own life I have personally canonized my parents who gave me life, my grandparents, especially my grandmother on my mom’s side, who inspired my priesthood in her tremendous suffering. These deeply personal people in our lives comprise the All Souls we remember and celebrate.

Who are the Saints you gravitate toward and pray to? If you don’t have a devotion to any Saint, I encourage you to search for that one Saint who speaks to you in a deeply personal way. Even more, keep alive the memory of those significant individuals in your life who have passed through the gateway of death and are living but in a different manner. Grieving hopefully surrenders to a joy rooted in faith that these beautiful people continue to be with us and communicate with us. Watch for the signs.