Nov 1 - All Saints

+ The saints in heaven, simply stated, are those whose souls, at the time of their deaths were conformed very closely to the image of Christ Himself – very closely indeed. This is not only their call but ours as well – during our lives on earth – to do all that we can to model our lives after, and to resemble the humble, loving, compassionate Lord himself – so that when God the Father looks down on us – he sees His Son, in the form of our bodies and souls. When we receive the Lord Jesus in Holy Communion we most resemble him as we have the opportunity of becoming what we consume.

The manual on how to establish and maintain this resemblance is found most especially in St. Matthew’s Sermon on the Mount (Chapter 5), which begins with the Beatitudes of  today’s Gospel passage: Jesus tells his disciples outright that to be poor in spirit, and mournful of sin, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, clean of heart, peacemakers, and persecuted for the sake of righteousness and for the sake of Christ Himself  would be to “resemble him,” and their reward would be great in heaven – they would be shining lights called: saints: the blessed!

It is our destiny along with resembling Christ, to join all the angels and saints already in heaven whom we honor today – those known and unknown – to glorify God at his throne – as we heard referenced in the first reading today from the Book of Revelation. We are called to be among this elect; but our presence there as God’s children (the Second Reading from St. John tells us) is based on our never-ending hope, and our lives of ceaseless praise-giving and self-sacrificial loving. Even now as we enjoy the communion with all the saints, they can help us by their prayers, they can assist us on our journeys and they will be there to greet us at the appointed hour of our arrival at the gates of heaven.

May we, today, like the saints of old and now, long to see your face, O Lord – for you shall reward us abundantly for our hope and our trust in you!