Today we celebrate the feast of "All Saints." We might ask what it means to be holy. It certainly does not mean to be perfect. Saints are also sinners - and are very conscious of it. Being a saint or a child of God is surrendering to God and allowing Him to be God within and through us. The holiness does not really belong to us; Jesus transforms us until we are like Him. Our contribution is to co-operate with Jesus and to allow ourselves to be moulded according to His Will. The Beatitudes paint a portrait of what a saint is like. A saint is someone who is non-violent, who longs for a just world and is willing to work for it, and who is willing to stand up for these ideals even if it means persecution and rejection. A saint is also someone who is gentle, loving, sensitive to the sufferings of others, and focused on God. Do we measure up to this model? Of course not. That is why our relationship with Jesus is so important. Not only is He the model, He also provides the means to sanctification through His life-giving spirit. Each day the Lord will give us gentle but firm nudges on our spiritual journey, and our holiness lies in our responses. The multitude of saints who have gone before us rejoice in our progress and offer us continual assistance and encouragement.