Respond, ye souls in endless rest,
ye patriarchs and prophets blest,
Ye holy twelve, ye martyrs strong,
all saints triumphant, raise the song.
Alleluia! Alleluia! [1]

Today, we’ve come together with triumph and joy, celebrating the feast of All Saints, and yes, this is your day too. It is a day to ask yourself: Am I qualified to be called a saint? What does it take to become one of God’s holy ones? Let’s talk about the prerequisites for sainthood. Jesus gave us a list, not of accomplishments, but of conditions of the heart.[2]
If you came here today and you are poor, you could be a saint.
If you came here hungry, you could be a saint.
If you came here weeping, you could be a saint.
If people have spoken badly about you, if they have reviled you or defamed you because of your faith, you could be a saint. But, if you came here today rich, full, satisfied, and proud, it might sound like you’re less qualified for that title. Does that seem right? Let’s think about it. Maybe you have someone in mind right now, someone you think of as a saint. The Church has a long list of them, holy men and women who lived in extraordinary ways. Maybe, deep in your heart, you’ve whispered, “Lord, help me to be one too.” To be a watcher, a holy one, you must learn how to raise the song.

But do we only get the title Saint after we die? Or could it be something we begin to live right now? Let’s look at a few examples.
Saint Teresa of Calcutta. She lived among the poor, the hungry, and the forgotten. But was she always poor? No, she chose poverty. She changed when she heard God’s call. She saw suffering and couldn’t turn away. Through that change, she became a servant of love. She raised the song.

Or take Saint Stephen, the first martyr. He was stoned to death for proclaiming that Jesus is the Christ. He was reviled and rejected, but not for his whole life. Before that, Stephen was known as kind, humble, full of grace and passion for Christ. When he heard God’s call, he answered, and accepted even death in faith. He raised the song.

And then there’s Saint Francis of Assisi. He lived in poverty and simplicity, surrounded by nature, the wolves, the birds, the wind. But he wasn’t always poor. He came from a wealthy family. He was kidnapped once and, on his journey home, he heard God’s voice in a chapel. That voice changed everything. He accepted God’s call, let go of what he had, and lived to hear that voice again and again. He raised the song.

Have you ever heard God’s voice? Maybe not like Charlton Heston in a movie, but deep in your soul.[3] When God speaks, you know. It reaches your heart, and you can’t contain it. You want to share it. You want others to feel it too. That’s what sainthood really is, hearing God’s voice and responding to it. It’s letting His love melt away the darkness inside us. As Teresa of Ávila wrote in The Interior Castle, the soul’s darkness is melted away by the heat of God’s love. Sainthood isn’t about perfection, it’s about transformation. God uses all of us, the poor, the broken, the forgotten, and yes, even the flawed. He takes what is small and makes it holy. The word saint simply means “holy one.” It means being a watcher, someone who listens, who waits on God. Saints are the ones who ask, “Lord, what will you have me do today?”

That’s the call of every believer. And when we live that call, when we love, when we forgive, when we show mercy, that’s when God’s holiness shines through us. Now, I’m sorry if you were hoping to leave today with a certificate that says Saint [Your Name], but the truth is, sainthood doesn’t come with a title or a medal. It comes with a heart that says yes to God. The good you do, the love you show, the grace you share, those are the marks of a saint and the world needs for us to raise that song.

To die to self, to let go of pride, control, or bitterness, is the hardest thing we’ll ever do. But that’s how we become watchers and holy ones. That’s how heaven touches earth. So today, hear the good news:
You are qualified.
You are called.
You are loved.
And by God’s grace, you can be a saint, by raising the song, right here, and right now.

[1] Ye Watcher and Ye Holy Ones, Ralph Vaughn Williams, 1982 Hymnal #618
[2] Luke 6:20-31
[3] The Ten Commandments, Cecil B. Demille, 1956.