Reading 1
Rv 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6
Responsorial PsalmR. (see 6)
Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD’s are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Reading 2
1 Jn 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
Gospel
Mt 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
Meditation: Matthew 5:1-12
All Saints
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:3)
What a way for Jesus to begin a “keynote” sermon near the beginning of his ministry! In one sentence, he laid out a challenge that believers have been trying to live up to for generations, with varying degrees of success. Who likes being poor in spirit? Who thinks meekness is fun? Who naturally resonates with the idea of being mournful?
Today is a good day to hear this passage because, at the same time that we are faced with the challenge of the Beatitudes, we are also reminded of all the saints who have gone before us—the countless men and women who have lived them out. People like Mother Teresa, Francis of Assisi, John XXIII, and Catherine of Siena show us that it is possible to be merciful, to be pure in heart, and to be a peacemaker. Like us, none of them was perfect, but they kept on trying. And they kept on growing. And so can we.
But the ministry of the saints goes far beyond the examples they left us. Scripture tells us that they surround us even today, a great “cloud of witnesses,” cheering us on, encouraging us, and interceding for us (Hebrews 12:1). Let that image fill your mind today in prayer. Picture St. Patrick standing right beside you, whispering his blessings in your ear. Picture St. Faustina just ahead of you, beckoning you forward, ever closer to Jesus’ heart of mercy. Consider Old Testament saints like Isaiah, Sarah, and Moses watching over you, rejoicing over every little step you take toward holiness and praying for you every time you fall short.
Always remember: You are not alone! So many people—both the renowned and the unknown—are surrounding you, helping you to live a life of holiness. So lift up your head and rejoice in the life God has given you. You really can become a saint!
“Thank you, Father, for giving me so many brothers and sisters in the Lord! By your grace, help me to take my place beside them in your heavenly court.”
No comments:
Post a Comment