At the end of her short life, my hero, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, found herself in a curious position. Audaciously, she was convinced that she would become a great saint and would be loved by many after her death. 

At the same time, she insisted that she was weak, impatient, and ordinary.

She became arguably the greatest saint in modern times. How is it possible that an ordinary and imperfect person can also be a great saint?

On this All Saints’ Day, Jesus overturns our assumptions about holiness. He says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). The blessed are not the impressive or the self-sufficient, but the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, and the persecuted. These are not heroic traits by normal standards. They are signs of a heart that has learned to rely on God rather than itself. 

That’s what St. Thérèse, and all the saints, are all about.

All Saints’ Day is not a celebration of spiritual elites. Rather, it announces what grace can do in our ordinary lives. The saints are not those who avoid weakness or suffering, but those who allow these things to deepen their trust. What good news for us! The smaller and weaker we are, the more qualified we are to be great saints.