Today I give thanks for saints,
saints who have laid a path of life and light
for thousands of years, so many of them,
who blessed me generations ago.
I give thanks for the pillars of light in my life:
elders who taught me, embraced me, blessed me,
walked ahead and let me follow, watch and learn.
They patiently accepted my immaturity,
they showed me what was possible,
they held me up to see a farther horizon,
and I am grateful for them.
I give thanks for peers who have loved me,
who have grown with me, traveled with me,
created with me, who held hope when I faltered,
bore wisdom when I didn’t, forgave me,
believed in me when I most deeply doubted.
These too are my saints, and I am grateful for them.
I give thanks for the saints yet to come,
children whose miracles I can’t yet imagine
but who will surely shine with God’s glory,
who will rectify my mistakes
and carry on what we cannot complete.
For saints yet to be born I give thanks.
For all the saints I give praise
and humble thanks that I may serve with them
in this one holy, remarkable life.