The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Solemnity of All Saints, challenge us to a vision of our connection to the Divine that is eternal, encompassing all people, and demonstrated to us in the lives of saints.
The reading from the Book of Revelation is a vision of the Multitudes from Every Nation.
* [7:1–17] An interlude of two visions precedes the breaking of the seventh seal, just as two more will separate the sixth and seventh trumpets (Rev 10). In the first vision (Rev 7:1–8), the elect receive the seal of the living God as protection against the coming cataclysm; cf. Rev 14:1; Ez 9:4–6; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30. The second vision (Rev 7:9–17) portrays the faithful Christians before God’s throne to encourage those on earth to persevere to the end, even to death. (Revelation, CHAPTER 7, n.d.)
Psalm 24 is a prayer for entrance into the Temple.
* [Psalm 24] The Psalm apparently accompanied a ceremony of the entry of God (invisibly enthroned upon the ark), followed by the people, into the Temple. The Temple commemorated the creation of the world (Ps 24:1–2). The people had to affirm their fidelity before being admitted into the sanctuary (Ps 24:3–6; cf. Ps 15). A choir identifies the approaching God and invites the very Temple gates to bow down in obeisance (Ps 24:7–10). (Psalms, PSALM 24, n.d.)
The reading from the First Letter of John declares our status as God’s Children.
* [3:1–3] The greatest sign of God’s love is the gift of his Son (Jn 3:16) that has made Christians true children of God. This relationship is a present reality and also part of the life to come; true knowledge of God will ultimately be gained, and Christians prepare themselves now by virtuous lives in imitation of the Son. (1 John, CHAPTER 3, n.d.)
In the Sermon on the Mount from the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus teaches the Beatitudes.
* [5:3–12] The form Blessed are (is) occurs frequently in the Old Testament in the Wisdom literature and in the psalms. Although modified by Matthew, the first, second, fourth, and ninth beatitudes have Lucan parallels (Mt 5:3 // Lk 6:20; Mt 5:4 // Lk 6:21b; Mt 5:6 // Lk 6:21a; Mt 5:11–12 // Lk 5:22–23). The others were added by the evangelist and are probably his own composition. A few manuscripts, Western and Alexandrian, and many versions and patristic quotations give the second and third beatitudes in inverted order. (Matthew, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Mike Cherney finds himself thinking about what makes a Saint a Saint.
I find that this persistence and grit in identifying and following God’s will seems to be a trait common to the Saints across the ages. Although it takes very different forms, I can see this in the early martyrs, Saints like Theresa of Avila, and Saints like Mother Theresa.
I am reminded of the distinction between Saints and saints, which we were taught by the nuns in elementary school. I think of the small but nevertheless heroic acts of my parents and my deceased oldest sister. They clearly deserve to be known as saints. Although their lives did not consist of what would be called acts on the grand scale (martyrdom or acts of service that become widely recognized), their more subtle embracing of God’s will in everyday life gives me confidence that they too have been granted sainthood.
My prayer today is for perseverance in hearing and following God’s call.
Dear Lord,
I am consoled by the thought that many of the Saints had a less than perfect past.
Forgive me and heal me for my shortcomings and bad choices.
Open my heart and mind to Your direction.
Allow me to follow the models of Your Saints and Your saints. (Cherney, n.d.)
Don Schwager quotes “Perfect blessedness is humility of spirit,” by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD) by Hilary of Poitiers (315-367 AD).
"'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.' The Lord taught by way of example that the glory of human ambition must be left behind when he said, 'The Lord your God shall you adore and him only shall you serve' (Matthew 4:10). And when he announced through the prophets that he would choose a people humble and in awe of his words [Isaiah 66:2], he introduced the perfect Beatitude as humility of spirit. Therefore he defines those who are inspired as people aware that they are in possession of the heavenly kingdom... Nothing belongs to anyone as being properly one's own, but all have the same things by the gift of a single parent. They have been given the first things needed to come into life and have been supplied with the means to use them." (excerpt from commentary ON MATTHEW 4.2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 invites us to make a friend by reading about the life of a saint. We may ask the Holy Spirit to help us understand and apply their wisdom to your own situation. Notice the way the saint conformed their life to Jesus and followed him.
As you learn more about your saint, you may be inspired by their holiness. You may begin to see how God wants you to grow. That’s what the saints do: they inspire a desire for greater holiness and spur us on to know the Lord.
God is calling you to occupy a unique place of your own in this company of the holy ones. What’s more, he’s empowering you to manifest his love in a way no one else can. And the saints are cheering you on; they’re all ready to be your companions on your journey.
What wonderful company you’ve been invited to keep!
“All you holy men and women, pray for us!” (Meditation on Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler fleshes out the meaning of the 144,000 in the vision from Revelation. The great multitude of those washed clean in the Blood of the Lamb cannot be numbered. The relationship of children of God connects to the Prologue of The Gospel of John. Friar Jude connects elements of the Beatitudes to our humility, need for consolation, rejection of greed, and encounter with the Presence of God.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, connects the church’s teaching on “the communion of saints” and our ancestors.
Humans throughout history have often had a strong appreciation for and connection with their ancestors. I think the collective notion of oneness is what Christians were trying to verbalize when they made a late addition to the ancient Apostles’ Creed: “I believe in the communion of saints.” They were offering us the idea that the dead are at one with the living, whether they’re our direct ancestors, the saints in glory, or even the so-called souls in purgatory.
The whole thing, all of life, is one, just at different stages, all of it loved corporately by God (and, one hopes, by us). Within this worldview, we are saved not by being privately perfect, but by being “part of the body,” humble links in the great chain of history. This view echoes the biblical concept of a covenant love that was granted to the Jewish people as a whole and never just to one individual like Abraham, Noah, or David. (Rohr, n.d.)
We are led by the Spirit to live as Beatitude people with humility, seeking the well being of others, and encountering God in our daily journey.
References
Cherney, M. (n.d.). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/110122.html
Matthew, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/5?1
Meditation on Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://wau.org/meditations/2022/11/01/524386/
1 John, CHAPTER 3. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1john/3?1
Psalms, PSALM 24. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/24?1
Revelation, CHAPTER 7. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/7?2
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Daily Meditations — Center for Action and Contemplation. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/part-of-one-body-2022-11-01/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture ... Retrieved November 1, 2022, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2022&date=nov1a
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