Pope Francis: there are many saints to be found in everyday life

Pope Francis today celebrated All Saints Day telling the faithful that there are many saints to be found in ordinary life and that they are examples to be followed. Speaking to the crowds gathered in St Peter's Square for the recitation of the Angelus, the Pope said saints are people who belong entirely to God, they carry the seal of God in their lives and on their persons.

Pointing out that we are all children of God and that we received the seal of our heavenly father with the sacrament of Baptism, Pope Francis said that saints are those who have lived their lives in the grace of Baptism, keeping that seal intact, behaving like children of God, trying to imitate Jesus.

"Saints are examples to imitate" the Pope said. And noting that saints are not only those who have been canonized, but can be anyone from next door neighbours, to members of our own families or others we have met as we live our ordinary lives the Pope said we must be grateful to them and to God for having given them to us as examples of how to live and die in fidelity to God and to the Gospel.

"How many good people have we met in our lives; how often do we exclaim: "this person is a saint! ... These are the saints who live next door, not the ones who are canonized, but the ones who live with us" he said.

Imitating their gestures of love and mercy, he said, is a bit like perpetrating their presence in this world. Acts of tenderness, of generous help, of closeness can appear insignificant, but in God's eyes they are eternal, "because love and mercy are stronger than death" he said.

Later Sunday afternoon Pope Francis travelled to Rome's Verano Cemetery where he celebrate Mass in memory of the dead.

In his homily the Pope reflected on the words of the Beatitudes spoken by Jesus as he taught the crowds gathered on the hillside around the Lake of Galilee.

Pope Francis said we may ask ourselves how can the poor in spirit, or those who mourn be blessed or happy? Because those whose hearts are free of worldly cares and those who have experienced the sadness and pain of others, the Pope said, are those who will be welcomed into the Kingdom of Heaven and will feel God's tenderness and consolation in their own lives.

Reflecting on the words, 'Blessed are the meek', Pope Francis said how often we act in exactly the opposite way, fretting, complaining and raising our voices, instead of following God's path of patience and humility. Like parents who show endless patience towards their children, he said, Jesus also followed the path of meekness, suffering exile and persecution, false accusations and even death on the Cross for our sake.

The Pope spoke of the words 'Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness' saying they will be filled with God's justice. 'Blessed are the merciful', he continued, reminds us that we are all sinners and every one of us needs to be forgiven, just as we must show mercy and forgiveness to others.

Finally the Pope reflected on Jesus' words 'Blessed are the peacemakers', saying those who patiently work to build peace and reconciliation are those who find true happiness, unlike those who cheat, or gossip, or take advantage of others.

Let us ask God for the grace to be simple, humble people, the Pope concluded, the grace to be meek and learn how to cry, the grace to work for justice and peace and, above all, the grace to ask God's forgiveness that we may become instruments of his mercy for others.