All Saints' Day, November 1, 2026
Some people would like to relax or to chill out. To do this, their advice is to just “go with the flow.” We can say that there is good in this line of thinking. One will not stress out because one does not have to do anything. One will just be carried along by the current without any effort. But the danger here is that you do not know where the current might lead you. You might be led to a situation that you do not want - a dangerous one. Thus, it is better to go against the flow.
Going against the flow is how the late Pope Francis described the “Beatitudes”. In his Apostolic Exhortation, “Gaudete et Exsultate” (GE), he said, “Although Jesus’ words may strike us as poetic, they clearly run counter to the way things are usually done in our world. Even if we find Jesus’ message attractive, the world pushes us towards another way of living” (GE no. 65). Going against the flow of the world is the way to holiness.
Many saints have gone against the flow. When the world during their time was going in a direction that was not according to the plan of God, they tended to go in the opposite direction, which is the path towards eternal life. Following the way of the world may be the easiest way to live, but we do not know where it will lead us. It can take us to eternal death. Yet, the path to the heavenly kingdom may be difficult, but we are sure that it leads to God’s dwelling place, where our souls will be safe.
A blessed week to all.
Fr. Leo Ayuyao, SSS
