Into the Deep

Divine Multiplication: Reflected Light
   Who is the most important saint? In our competitive world, where everything and everyone is reduced to statistics and numbers, we may be tempted to rank the saints according to their miracles or their power of intercession. Who is the best? Who is the most important?
   The saints, however, have no interest in being number one. They know neither envy nor jealousy, and they have no interest in rankings. What happens among them is beautifully expressed by Dante in Purgatorio (Divine Comedy, Canto XV). The saints in heaven are like mirrors reflecting the light of God. The more one shines, the more everyone shines. God’s light in them generates neither envy nor jealousy; quite the opposite: everyone rejoices when the others grow in holiness.
   This is what happens in heaven, and it is also what happens on earth when Christian love is alive, whether in marriage, religious life, or family life. When my brother or my spouse grows, I rejoice. When my beloved suffers, I suffer.
   In Purgatorio, Virgil explains to Dante that human beings insist on directing their love and desire toward things “where sharing cannot have a part.” In other words, we desire things that diminish when shared. These are material goods. The saints, however, invite us to discover those goods that increase when shared. Such is the case with joy, love, faith, and hope. With spiritual goods, “the more there are who would say ‘ours,’ the greater the good possessed by each, and the more love burns.”
   Spiritual goods grow when we give them away.
   A slice of apple pie becomes smaller when I share it with someone else. The pie is a material good. But when I share it with a hungry friend, the joy of watching him enjoy it gives me something greater: a joy that no apple pie, however delicious, could offer on its own.
The saints know no envy; quite the opposite. They enrich one another, like the colors of a rainbow or the combination of flavors in a delicious pasta dish or an excellent wine.
This is what we might call divine multiplication. The light of God shining in one saint enriches all the others. The humility of Saint Bernadette illuminates the wisdom of Saint Leo the Great. The courage of a martyr inspires the faithfulness of a couple going through difficulties. All the saints grow together and inspire one another as they proclaim: “Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, heaven and earth are full of your glory!”
   And what about us? How does the celebration of All Saints become a source of joy for us as well?
   First of all, the saints inspire us by their example. They are role models on our journey toward God.
   Each saint lived the perfection of charity according to his or her particular vocation, historical circumstances, and cultural context. We can learn from the courage of the martyrs, the prudence of holy politicians and leaders, the justice of lawyers, the purity of consecrated virgins, the wisdom of theologians and spiritual teachers, and the intelligence of scientists.
   Yet beyond their example, the saints offer us something even more precious: their friendship. As we profess in the Creed, we believe in the “communion of saints.” There is an exchange of spiritual goods between the saints and us. Because they are so closely united to Christ, they help us in our weakness. As Saint Dominic said to his brethren as he lay dying: “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death, and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.” The saints are not merely wonderful examples whom we admire and cherish. More importantly, our communion with them unites us more closely to Christ.
   The day after All Saints Day, on November 2, we commemorate All Souls Day. We remember the souls in purgatory and pray for all the faithful departed. The saints in heaven belong to the Church Triumphant, while we on earth belong to the Church Militant, or pilgrim Church. Those being purified in purgatory are traditionally described as Church Penitent. Here, too, we discover the mystery of divine multiplication. Our prayers and sacrifices can help the souls in purgatory on their journey toward the fullness of heavenly glory. Even in death, we remain united in Christ, and the love we offer one another is never in vain.
   If we really must rank the saints, Mary is the Queen of All Saints. She is the greatest of all the saints, yet she is not proud. Instead, she proclaims the greatness of the Lord, who has looked with favor on his lowly servant. Mary rejoices in God, and all the saints rejoice in the beauty of the grace he has bestowed upon her.
   Holy men and women of God, pray for us.
   Saint Mary, Queen of All Saints, pray for us.
   Fr. Luis Granados, DCJM

Previous Letters:

October 25, 2026: Asking for Love
October 18, 2025: Until Death Do Us Part
October 11, 2026: Marriage
October 4, 2026: Peacemakers With Mary!
September 27, 2026: It is Not Fair!
September 20, 2026: The Joy and Presence of the Lord
September 13, 2026: I Will Never Forget You
September 6, 2026: Mercy That Excludes
August 30, 2026: Thirst and Fire
August 23,2026: Delegation
August 16, 2026: Great is Your Faith
August 9, 2026: Why Did You Doubt?
August 2, 2026: Grace
July 26, 2026: Treasures
July 19, 2026: Weeds and the Problem of Evil
July 12, 2026: The Soil
July 5, 2026: We Hold These Truths
June 28, 2026: Eyesight
June 21, 2026: Provider
June 14, 2026: Ordinary
June 7, 2026: Salvation Has Come to This House
May 31, 2026: Why Three?
May 24, 2026: Fruits
May 17, 2026: For Greater Glory
May 10, 2026: Orphans?
May 3, 2026: A Good Shepherd II
April 26, 2026: A Good Shepherd
April, 19, 2026: Necessary
April 12, 2026: Merciful Patience!
April 5, 2026: Breaking News!
March 29, 2026: Sic Transit Gloria Mundi
March 22, 2026: Lord of the Dead and the Living
March 15, 2026: Light and Darkness
March 8, 2026: Thirst and Desire
March 1, 2026: Transfigured
February 22, 2026: The Law of Freedom
February 15, 2026: In Defense of Marriage
February 8, 2026: Salt and Light
February 1, 2026: Poor Who Enrich
January 25, 2026: Catholic School Education
January 18, 2026: Humbled and Exalted
January 11, 2026: Born and Reborn
January 4, 2026: What’s the Price of a Mass?
December 28, 2025: Families Serving Families
December 21, 2025: Decisions
December 14, 2025: Make Firm
December 7, 2025: Hope and Justice
November 30, 2025: Armor of Light
November 23, 2025: Behold Your King
November 16, 2025: Remember Your Dignity
November 9, 2025: St. Leo and the Cross of Christ
November 2, 2025; Dying in Christ
October 26, 2025: Forgive Us
October 19, 2025: Pray For Us
October 12, 2025: Pillar of Faith
October, 5, 2025: Compendium of the Gospel
September 28, 2025: Failed to Do
September 21, 2025: An Enemy Did This
September 14, 2025: In Hoc Signo
September 7, 2025: My Son Carlo
August 31, 2025: Humility?
August 24, 2025: How Difficult?
August 17, 2025: Politically Incorrect
August 10, 2025: Got Faith?
August 3, 2025: Greed
July 27, 2025: Ask and You Shall Receive
July 20, 2025: The Better Part
July 13, 2025: Who is the Samaritan
July 6, 2025: Joy and Spoons
June 29, 2025: In Fire
June 22, 2025: A Beating Heart in the Tabernacle
June 15, 2025: The Mirror
June 8, 2025: Filled With the Holy Spirit
June 1, 2025: He Loved Us
May 25, 2025: Servant of Your Faith and Joy
May 18, 2025: Leo
May 11, 2025: The Deposit of Faith
May 4, 2025: Costly Mercy
April 27, 2025: Who is Peter?
April 20, 2025: I Make All Things New – Arise!
April 13, 2025: I Make All Things New – To Do My Penance
April 6, 2025: I Make All Things New – I Declared My Sin to You
March 30, 2025: I Make All Things New – I Firmly Resolve
March 23 2025: I Make All Things New –  I am Sorry for Offending You
March 16, 2025: I Make All Things New –  Examining Your Conscience
March 9, 2025: I Make All Things New
March 2, 2025: Pruning
February 23, 2025: The Anointed of the Lord
February 16, 2025: Be My Valentine
February 9, 2025: Wash Away My Guilt II
February 2, 2025: Wash Away My Guilt I
January 26, 2025: Catholic Education
January 19, 2025: Shall Marry You
January 12, 2025: Called by Name
January 5, 2025: Pilgrims of Hope
December 29, 2024: Priests for the Family
December 22, 2024: Messengers of Joy
December 15, 2024: Blessed Are the Poor
December 8, 2024: Love, Hope and Joy
December 1, 2024: Hope Does Not Disappoint
November 24, 2024: Are You King?
November 17, 2024: Seven Words
November 10, 2024: Tu es Petrus
November 3, 2024: Pray For Those Authority
October 27, 2024: These Are the Feasts
October 20, 2024: Someone Else
October 13, 2024: Be Prudent
October 6, 2024: Project and Dreams II
September 29, 2024: Projects and Dreams I
September 22, 2024: Pastor
September 15, 2024: Take Up Your Cross
September 8, 2024: Guardians of Shared Memory
September 1, 2024: From Their Hearts
August 25, 2024: The Cost of Discipleship
August 18, 2024: For Real?
August 11, 2024: Too Long For You
August 4, 2024: A New Manna
July 28, 2024: Bread of Life
July 21, 2024: Shepherds After My Own Heart
July 14, 2024: Woe to Me…
July 7, 2024: Come and Rest (II)
June 30, 2024: Come and Rest (I)
June 23, 2024: Storms
June 16, 2024: I Will be a Father to You
June 9, 2024: Burning Furnace of Love
June 2, 2024: In the Midst of Him
May 26, 2024: Forever I Will Sing the Goodness of the Lord
May 19, 2024: Through the Holy Spirit
May 12, 2024: The Ark of the Covenant
May 5, 2024: Source and Summit
April 28, 2024: Rejoice Always
April 21, 2024: I Believe in the resurrection of the body Part II
April 14, 2024: I Believe in the Resurrection of the Body Part 1
April 7, 2024: Rich in Mercy
March 31, 2024: Sine Dominico Non Possumus About Sunday
February 11, 2024: I Was Ill and You Cared For Me
February 4, 2024: Why Evil?
January 28, 2024: Catholic Schools Week
January 21, 2024: Attachments
January 14, 2024: The LORD Shines
January 7, 2024: Epiphany 2024
December 31, 2023: A Family of Families
December 25, 2023: New Beginnings
December 17, 2023: Christmas
December 3, 2023: Watch
November 26, 2023: Be Healed
November 19, 2023: Sealed
November 12, 2023: Religious?