The Solemnity of All Saints

Rev. 7:2-4.9-14, 1 Jn 3:1-3, Mt. 5:1-12. As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints on this Thirty first Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A, the Church reminds us of who we are and what the future holds for us. We rejoice in all those who have gone home to God in Heaven, all those from all ages, canonised and uncanonised, who now enjoy the love of God in Heaven in ways we cannot imagine and sing the praise of God around His throne. Today's first reading gives us a glimpse of Heaven where a great crowd of people are gathered around the Lamb - Jesus. It is a gathering of people from every land and nation. The throngs are there to give glory to God forever since they have lived lives which gave witness to God. We hope that our loved ones, relations and friends who have gone before us signed with the sign of faith are among the saints who now enjoy the happiness promised by the beatitudes in today's Gospel (Mt. 5:1-12).

The Beatitudes give us a programme for living such a life of holiness, trying to be as pure as Christ, to prepare for seeing God in the next life. The saints now enjoys the love of God in Heaven because the love of God has made us children of God, as John reminded us in the second reading: “Look, what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God” (1 Jn 3:1). Everyone is a child of God because we are all created by God but John refers to us being children of God in a much fuller way as Christians, being born again through baptism. The world says: "Blessed are the rich, because they can have anything they want" but Jesus says: "Blessed are the poor in spirit." By poor in spirit He means those who put their trust in God rather than money; and those who admit that it is not their income, possessions or bank account that makes them rich in the eyes of God, but the kind of people they are.

May the Lord make us to be in the number of the elect when the saints march on to the eternal life and never stray from the right path! Amen!! Stay safe and save life, Jesus loves you, happy Sunday!!!