Today we celebrate All Saints day as the church has done for 1600 years. Who are these saints, and how can we become like them?

In the Apostlesí Creed, we profess to believe in the communion of saints. This means that we believe in the spiritual unity that binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven.

Not too long after Jesus died, the first saints were martyrs who lost their lives during persecutions of Christians. After the persecutions ended, names continued to be added of particularly famous people who are models of how to live a Christian life.

There are also many saints we do not know because their fame was never known to others or has since been forgotten. But, God knows who they are!

We all know saintly people, some of whom are in our own family. Parents become more saintly when their children are teenagers.

I know some of the faithful who live on earth. Some live right here in Edmond. I have been bringing the Eucharist to a lady for about five years. She has ALS, or what is known as Lou Gehrigís disease. You may be familiar with this disease through the book and TV movie titled "Tuesdays with Morrie." Someone with ALS gradually looses all control of his or her muscles.

When I first began visiting Anne, she was on a ventilator with around-the-clock care. She could use a computer to communicate with us by controlling menus with her eye movements. She now has trouble controlling her eye muscles.

Why is Anne among the faithful? She has persevered with ALS for about ten years, a record in Oklahoma. Caring for her wore out her husband, and now a daughter is caring for her. Just from their perseverance, Anne, her husband, her daughter, and her caregivers are among the living faithful in the communions of saints. They are exceptionally loving and caring Christians.

 Anne used to watch Catholic videos. Now she listens to a taped Sunday Mass and listens to Catholic audiotapes. This has influenced all her caretakers to the point that the non-Catholics have asked me how they can find out more about the Catholic Church. Yes, Anne still is an active evangelizer, bringing the Good News to others.

Anne has been the first name on the St. Johnís list of petitions for the sick for many years. When her name gets accidentally left off the list, people immediately ask me when leaving church what happened to her. Anne has been prayed for continuously for all this time by up to 2700 families.

In the first reading from the book of Revelation, those on earth are being encouraged to persevere to the end, even death. Our past is gone and we can do nothing about it. We live in the present and can work to be among the faithful today, so that we will eventually be among the saints in heaven. No one will be forgotten or left out of those who belong to God.

But, how exactly do we get to belong to God? The gospel reading tells us that "your reward will be great in heaven" when you live the beatitudes. Here is who Jesus says will be blessed and greatly rewarded: the poor in spirit, those who mourn, are meek, hunger and thirst for righteousness, are merciful, clean of heart, and peace makers; and those who are insulted and persecuted because of him.

Yes, if you are among these, you are part of the communion of saints we are celebrating today.