THE WORD
FIRST READING 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 Israelites.
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.
SECOND READING 1 Jn 3: 1–3
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 READING Mt 5: 1–12
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.”
IN OTHER WORDS
There are many more saints in the Church than days of the year. Thus, one day of the year has been chosen for the celebration of all the saints, particularly the “undeclared saints” who therefore do not have official feastdays in the calendar. We know many of these saints. They are those who lived or continue to live saintly lives among our family, relatives, friends, acquaintances – whether in heaven, on earth or in purgatory.
The feast of all the saints is therefore a celebration of the “Communion of Saints”, that is, a celebration of the bonds of love that bind together the “Church triumphant”, the “Church Militant” and the “Church Suffering”. The doctrine of the Communion of Saints is an affirmation that love is stronger than death, that love perdures beyond this life unto the next life.
The readings today employ different images in describing the “state” or the “place” of the saints. The first reading from the Book of Revelation mentions “a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue. They stand before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” The second reading from the first letter of John speaks of the Father’s love which makes us children of God. “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.”
The Gospel reading is Matthew’s version of the beatitudes. Saintliness is equated with blessedness. And blessedness is not mere happiness. It is being“graced” or “favored” by God. Like Mary, full of grace, because she is the “highly-favored one” (Lk 1:28). Or like the song of the angels in Bethlehem: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests” (Lk 2:14). The saints are those “blessed”, “graced”, “favored” by God – the poor in spirit, those who mourn, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the meek and merciful and clean of heart, the peacemakers, those persecuted for the sake of righteousness.
Today, let us try to recall at least three “undeclared saints” whom we know.A childhood friend, a family member, a teacher in grade school, a missionarysister, a parish priest. Those who taught us about God’s love, who incarnated for us God’s providential care, who led us to have trust and confidence in God’s fatherly concern. Let us gratefully remember them and pray for them. But let us also pray to them that they may intercede for us with our loving Father in heaven.
- Antonio Pernia, SVD (DWST, Tagaytay City)
The Word in other words 2015
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
