Many of those who now contemplate the face of God perhaps did not have the opportunity, during their time on earth, to accomplish great deeds, but they fulfilled their daily duties, their small daily duties, as best they could. They had mistakes and lack of patience, laziness, pride, perhaps serious sins. But they loved Confession, and repented, and began again. They loved much and had a life with fruits, because they knew how to sacrifice themselves for Christ. They never thought of themselves as saints; on the contrary, they always thought that they would be in great need of divine mercy. They all knew, to a greater or lesser degree, sickness, tribulation, the low hours when everything cost them; they suffered failures and had successes. Perhaps they wept, but they knew and put into practice the words of the Lord, which the Liturgy of the Mass also brings us today: Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. They leaned on the Lord, they went many times to see Him and to be with Him at the Tabernacle; they did not fail to have an encounter with Him every day.
The blessed ones who have already reached Heaven are very different from one another, but they had in this earthly life a common distinctive feature: they lived charity with those around them. The Lord said: by this all will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. This is the characteristic of the Saints, of those who are already in the presence of God.
We find ourselves walking towards Heaven and in great need of the mercy of the Lord who is great and sustains us day by day. We should think of him and of the graces we have, especially in moments of temptation or discouragement.
There awaits us a countless multitude of friends. They "can help us, not only because the light of example shines upon us and makes it easier at times for us to see what we have to do, but also because they help us with their prayers, which are strong and wise, while ours are so weak and blind. When you look out on a November night and see the firmament constellated with stars, think of the countless saints in Heaven, who are ready to help us...". It will fill us with hope in difficult moments. Our Lady is waiting for us in Heaven to take us by the hand and lead us to the presence of her Son, and of so many loved ones who await us there.