All Saints Day, 1^st November

I Reading: Revelation 7:2-4,9-14:

II Reading: 1John 3:1-3:

Gospel: Matthew 5:1-12:

Who are called or known as saints? Where do they come from? What did they do in their lives? They are not born from heaven neither are they born as saints. They come from a humble, simple, God-fearing family who witnessed their lives for Christ and for the church by their total faith in one and true living God with their commitment, total dedication and sacrifice. They faced suffering, persecution, rejections, temptations and weaknesses in life as humans. They won the war by the blood of the lamb, the Word of God and witness or testimony. In the Beatitudes,  Jesus said, how Blessed you are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven…Happy you are… Fortunate you are…which means makarios in Greek=true joy comes from God and within not from outside. Poor in spirit means humbling oneself, total surrender to God, total dependency on God’s providence at all times etc. Jesus assures us that there is a reward in heaven for the right cause.

In the year, 609, Pope Boniface IV cleared out the statues of gods and goddesses from the Pantheon (“the house of all the gods) which was propagated by the Roman empire and turned the building into a church that he dedicated to God in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and of all saints. This church is still standing.

Famous martyrs and saints were venerated in the church on various dates worldwide. Today we have millions of saints who are known and unknown to mankind, but well known to God. The number of saints and martyrs went on increasing day after day, and this led the church to establish a feast in their honor on 1^st November around 800 A.D. In this feast, we praise God for having accomplished his salvation in so many people.

The Holy Spirit moved the church to establish this feast for a double purpose:

1) To praise God for having completed his salvation in so many of our Christian brothers and sisters throughout the world.

2) To encourage those still living on earth to persevere and be faithful to Christ inspite of human weakness, temptation and persecution.

Their message from heaven today is:

Do not lose discouraged; remember that we were just what you are, weak, and sinful people. Yet we were saved by God’s power and love. Keep up the struggle; we are here to lend you a helping hand with our prayer to God. There is a fabulous reward ready for you too here.

1. Every Christian is a saint in the making.

Paul does not hesitate to call his Christians “saints”:

From Paul…to you all, who are God’s beloved in Rome, called to be saints.” (Rom 1, 1.7; 1Cor 1,1.2; 2Cor 13,12).

In today’s second reading, John points out why Christians may rightly be called “saints” while still on earth, in spite of human weakness:

a. We, Christians are truly God’s children at Baptism (1Jn 3:1).

b. We are destined to be with God forever and to be like him (1Jn 3:2-3).

We Christians ought to consider ourselves at all times, “saints in the making” that is, people striving to become holy.

2. Neither human weakness nor suffering nor persecution should discourage Christians from striving after holiness:

The Book of Revelation teaches us about the sacrificial life and witnessing the life of the people having faith in Jesus.

a) The first reason why we should not get discouraged is that we have already been chosen to be saved: Ex 39:30- Consecrated to Yahweh. Ez 9:4-T=Greek “Tau”, resembles a cross.

b) Ours is a numerous family; it runs into millions; we should pluck up courage at the thought that so many of our brothers and sisters are ready to give us a helping hand:

The Book of Revelation speaks of 144,000 people assigned by the angel, that is 12,000 from each of the 12 tribes of Israel.

We all form part of the new people of Israel; those who will, shall be saved (Rom 11:30-32).

c) Suffering, persecution, difficulties should spur us on to greater faithfulness, not discourage us:

In the first reading of John’s vision- saw a large crowd dressed in white tunics bearing palms in their hands, a symbol of victory during the time of Nero the Roman emperor. The second Baptism is the shedding of his/her blood for Christ which cleanses a person from all sin.

d) The great reward ready for us in heaven ought to encourage us to be faithful to Christ: Revelation, the last verses of the first reading 7: 15, 17 have been left out. They beautifully show what our reward in heaven will be like:

3. Christians are lucky people: Because the kingdom of God belongs to them by their faith and by their witnessing life for Christ and for his church.

Hence our weakness stands in the way of our becoming saints, yet we have every reason to be optimistic that we shall succeed. Suffering, temptation and persecution should not a hindrance to our salvation. All we have to do is walk on earth with our eyes fixed on the fabulous reward God has in store for us in heaven.

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com

 

The True Disciple: Who He is and His Reward (The Beatitudes), Mt 5:1-12

The Beatitudes of our Lord are powerful, holding before the world a descriptive picture of the true disciple of God. Seldom people have been spoken with so much meaning in the history of the world.

The Beatitudes cover the glorious hope and reward the believer can expect, now as well as in eternity.

1. Jesus saw crowds (v.1-2)

a. Setting: Mountain

b. Posture: Set-Ready

c. Audience: Disciples

d. Purpose: To teach and prepare

e. Blessed

2. The poor in spirit: Given the kingdom of Heaven (v.3)

3. Those who mourn: Comforted

4. The meek: Inherit the earth (v.5)

5. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: Filled (v.6)

6. The merciful: Obtain mercy (v.7)

7. The pure in heart: See God (v. 8)

8. The peacemakers: Called the children of God (v.9)

9. The persecuted: Given the kingdom of Heaven (v.10-12)

a. The persecution

          1) Reviled and insulted

          2) Slandered and lied against

          3) Persecuted and hurt

b. The behavior expected: Joy

c. The reason for joy

          1) Great reward

          2) Great examples: The prophets

Thought: Being filled means “to be filled with the Spirit” or “to be led by the Spirit” (Eph 5:18). “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace…”(Gal 5:22-23).

www.believeinthegoodnews.blogspot.com