To use God.

To be used by God.

One leads to hell, the other to heaven.

One brings damnation, the other salvation.

One makes you a devil (in a certain sense), the other makes you a saint (in the literal sense).

One of the greatest temptations we face in this life is the temptation to "use" the Lord: to use him as an excuse to hate, or to persecute or even to kill. As I’ve always said, "You can use a verse of the Bible pulled out of context to justify anything!"

For decades, people have given into this temptation to use God in places like Northern Ireland and the Middle East; and, on September 11, 2001, a group of terrorists gave into it right here on American soil, killing thousands of innocent men and women in the process. Their attitude (and the attitude of all those who "use" the Lord) can be expressed in this way: "I am with God, and you’re not; therefore, I can treat you any way I want to."

And let’s be clear about it—this is not just something that manifests itself in relations between nations or ethnic groups. Each of us can "use" God to justify an ongoing grudge, or any act of selfishness, unforgiveness or dishonesty.

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints: this is a day for us to honor all those who—in the words of today’s first reading—"have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb." Saints are saints precisely because they resisted the temptation I just mentioned: they did not use God as an excuse for evil; they wanted to be "used by God" as instruments for good! I remember Mother Teresa once saying that she desired to be like a little pencil in God’s hand. She wanted to respond to God’s grace at every moment of every day, so that the Lord could act powerfully through her. That’s the typical attitude of a saint.

Those who want to be used by God also possess the attitudes found in today’s famous Gospel text from Matthew 5.

For example, they recognize their deep need for God’s grace. They know they can’t be "lights for the world" by their own power. They are, in other words, "poor in spirit."

They mourn whenever they encounter sin and evil, and they look for ways to undo the evil effects of sin. In other words, they don’t find sin amusing, even when it’s portrayed as entertainment on television or in movies.

They are meek and humble, believing that God’s wisdom is far greater than theirs. And they seek that wisdom fervently in prayer and through the sacraments.

They desire holiness more than anything else in this life; they forgive all those who hurt them; and they strive for purity in mind and heart, realizing that God can’t use them effectively if lust or greed or any other ungodly passion dominates their thoughts and actions.

They make the first overture to reconciliation whenever a conflict emerges with another person, understanding that God can’t use them as he wants to if their hearts are filled with bitterness and anger.

And they are willing to suffer for being used by the Lord, knowing that this can often be the time when they are most effective in doing the Lord’s work.