These are the people who have been through the great persecution

Solemnity of All Saints

Collect

Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate in one celebration the merits of all the Saints, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we earnestly long. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.

Amen. 

I saw a huge number of people impossible to count.
Rev 7:2-4, 9-14

A reading from the Book of Revelation

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Psalm 23 (24):1-6

℟. Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
  the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
  on the waters he made it firm. ℟.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
  Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
  who desires not worthless things. ℟.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord
  and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
  seek the face of the God of Jacob. ℟.

We shall see him as he really is.
1 Jn 3:1-3

A reading from the First Letter of John the Apostle

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
  by letting us be called God’s children;
  and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
  therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
  but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
  we shall be like him
  because we shall see him as he really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this hope
  must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

The Word of the Lord.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Gospel Acclamation
Mt 11:28

Alleluia. ℟. Alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
℟. Alleluia.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Mt 5:1-12a

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
  they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
  they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
  they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
  they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
  they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
  they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
  theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord.
℟. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.


Reflection

As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints, it is fitting to reflect on what holiness means for us. Who are the saints whose feast we celebrate today? “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14).

They are called saints not because they were perfect, but because they welcomed God’s grace into their lives and worked tirelessly to do His will. They followed in the footsteps of the Lord Jesus and continued His mission in the world, each according to the gifts they had received.

The call to holiness is a call to all of us who have received the grace of Baptism. The journey begins with conversion and continues along the path of the Beatitudes: the path of love for God and neighbour, the path taught to us by the Lord Jesus, the path that leads to true blessedness. Indeed, true blessedness is not found in acquiring and accumulating material wealth, but in welcoming the Lord into our lives and bringing His light into the world. This is the life of the saints. Like everyone else, they live in a world tainted by evil, yet they keep their eyes fixed on the path laid out for them by the Lord Jesus, who walked it Himself before them.

The poor in spirit are blessed because they are not attached to material possessions or puffed up with pride, but are simple and humble, ready to give everything out of love. Those who are poor in spirit consider nothing their own, yet possess everything because they have Christ reigning in their hearts. The hope of the blessed person rests in God, even in sorrow and suffering. Such a person grieves at the sight of evil, feels the pain of others and stands in solidarity with those who suffer.

The Kingdom of Heaven is built through gentleness and humility. The gentle person is neither weak nor cowardly, but strong in the face of life’s challenges. Such a person does not respond to violence or injustice with violence, but always seeks to bring about peace.

Jesus calls blessed those who strive for justice, work for peace and show mercy to those who have done wrong or find themselves in need. Blessed is the person who has Christ dwelling within and allows His word to purify the heart. Such a person is sincere in all they do and does everything with the love of Christ. Those who belong to the Kingdom must have the courage not to be afraid of doing what is right, even when those around them mock or reject them.

The journey towards holiness is always a struggle between the Kingdom of Heaven and the world, which prizes fame, power, money and success. We can live out what the Lord asks of us only through His Holy Spirit, who dwells within us. The Beatitudes are the way of life. Blessed are we if we live by them!

Prayer

Send out your light and your truth;
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy hill
and to your dwelling!
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God my exceeding joy,
and I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

Psalm 43:3-4

 

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