Word for Word 11/6/19

Last week we celebrated Halloween. As many of you know, the term comes from “All Hallows Evening”, or the night before the Feast of All the “Hallowed Ones”. “Hallowed” can also mean “Holy”.  Another term for the “Holy Ones” are “Saints”. So the day following Halloween, November 1st, for centuries, has been known in some churches as All Saints Day.

I go into all this to talk about saintly behavior. I know that none of us are perfect, and we probably think we are far from sainthood.  But I would like to point out some saintly actions I have witnessed in our area:

A postal carrier who paused on her route last winter to ask if I needed help getting out of a snow bank when I was stuck at Yellow River State Forest.

The person who bakes pies for every benefit and fundraiser.

Those people who make frequent phone calls to a lonely neighbor.

EMTs and First Responders who help at a moment’s notice.

The nurse who stays after the shift is over to be with a dying patient who has no family.

Parents who take in foster children.

A young student who invites a new student to their birthday party.

Relatives and neighbors who baby sit when young parents need a sitter.

A middle school student who goes out of their way to offer a kind word to a classmate who needs to hear it.

The high school student who offers to sit during lunch time with a student who often eats alone.

None of these people are canonized saints, but they are taking the steps to be the best version of themselves they can be. God bless the saints among us!. 

Fr. Mark Osterhaus
Catholic Parish Pastor
Waukon, Hanover, Dorchester