First Reading – Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 ©
Responsorial
Psalm – Psalm 23(24):1-6 ©
Second
Reading – 1 John 3;1-3 ©
Gospel
Acclamation – Matthew 11:28 ©
The
Gospel According to Matthew 5:1 – 12a ©
(NJB)
Listen!
God, the creator of the universe, is not a king. The divine person is not the lord of dominions, God does not sit on a throne, wield a scepter or wear a crown.
Know this.
The multitude John witnessed in his vision is a society without number, there is no upper limit to its measure, it is continually aborning and seamlessly without end. John’s multitude is comprised of every person who has experienced the tribulations of living, of every single one of us who has come into being and suffered while they sojourned through time and space. Every human being who is alive today, has ever been or will ever be, all of us belong to the multitude…all of us are children of the living God--gathered together in the great continuum of being, and none of us are lost…this is the good news, and in it lies the way.
We are not saved by the blood of the lamb, not in the literal sense, this is a metaphor. There is no sanctification or justification through ritual sacrifice, but there is in the feast that follows, where we all come to the table to share in the communal gift…this is the symbol that is important.
We may experience something of salvation in the here and now, if we let go of our enmities, forgive those who have wronged us, as God has forgiven us, and when we have accepted the forgiveness of those we have wronged; when we have done that we may experience a forestaste of what is to come.
Be mindful!
The reading from Genesis is powerful, but do not look for God to come down from the heavens draped in glory, wielding powers and heralded with honors; remember the humility of Jesus and look for the divine presence there.
All things and persons have their being in God; the divine is the foundation of all that is, without God there is nothing, without God there is not even the possibility of something, Therefore, if you wish to climb the mountain, and you are going there to find God, that is fine, there is nothing wrong with that, God is there, but God is closer than the mountain top, simply turn to your neighbor, open your heart and you will see God reflected in their face. Behold the face of God in their eyes, it is you and it is them…together, and in God’s holy presence give thanks
Knowing that God loved you before creation, when only the possibility of you existed, do not worry about your own relative state of your own holiness; act as if you believe that you are a holy vessel, worthy of God’s adoration, simply because you are. All things and everyone are loved by God, there is no better measure of holiness than that
Look for God’s blessing in the service you provide to your neighbor, to your mother and father, to your sister and brother, if you are to be justified by anything, let it be by the quality and extent of your mercy.
If you go looking for the God of Jacob, instead of seeing God in Jacob (even in his folly), you will only be staring at idols.
Know this!
God is not confined to the pages of a book or by the inked letters on a scroll, the divine is not bound by the history and mythology of a people. It is fine to see in those things glimpses of the divine, the records and remembrances of past encounters, but if you seek the living God you must look among the living.
Consider the work of the apostle:
When you are preaching the faith you are always speaking to the children of God, and there is nothing you yourself can do to affect their salvation, their salvation has already been accomplished in God by grace and grace alone.
The teachings of Jesus cannot be treated like a shell game, though they often are, and often have been since the beginning, as Matthew illustrates; the way is not a long can, it is not a bait and switch, it is a simple teaching that cannot be controlled or owned by any one group of people.
The wise and the powerful, the learned and the clever, the weak and the meek, everyone has access to the same truth and to the knowledge of the divine, of justice, of hope and love; just because a person may be wise and powerful, learned and clever, or a child of the church, does not mean they recognize the truth when they see it, or act upon it when they do.
It is not your station in society, it is not how other people regard you, it is not the titles you have earned, or the ways that you have been marginalized that give us the tell on how you will fulfill the calling to follow Jesus. What matters is what is in your heart, and your willingness to trust in the content of your hope.
Consider the Gospel reading for the day:
Much has been written about the sermon on the mount. It is hard for me to believe that I would have anything new to add to that discussion, but adding something new is not as important as sharing the story and how it has shaped my perspective on the Gospel.
Also, adding something new happens all by itself, and by sharing our perspective we keep the conversation moving…this is the living tradition of our faith.
In the reading for today Jesus shares a way of seeing the world, of living in society, of understanding our relationship to the creator; a way that reverses the expectations of the social compact that were prevalent in his time.
Jesus might have said that the providence of heaven belongs to all people, regardless of who they are, where they came, or how far they think they are from the love of the creator, no matter what creed they profess or what traditions bind them…no matter how little they may think about God.
He might have said that the gentle of heart do seek to possess things, therefore they have nothing to guard making themselves unguarded and free, the gentle of heart who by freeing themselves from their desires, have gained everything.
He might have said have hope, all of our woes are temporary, all sadness, and all mourningand all grief will come to an end.
He might have said strive for what is right and just, for what is universal and true, for what touches all people; give up your concerns for yourself and your tribe knowing that these narrow paths lead to loneliness and misery, while the broad road leads to joy and fellowship with the multitude that are walking along it…walk there in the company of friends.
He might have said mercy follows upon mercy, as the sun follows the rain…you may be sure of it.
He might have said that all people come to the vision of God; it is certain because God wills I, just as it is certain that in time they will come to know their true selves, at which moment they will see the fullness of God at the center of their being, dwelling within everyone and uniting us as one.
He might have instructed us to accept the parentage of the divine, and the reality of our status as children of God, to take up the task set before us: to love justice, be merciful and make peace wherever we go..
The providence of heaven belongs to all people, it is the inheritance of everyone who comes into being, the it may only be received in full by those who share it without reservation, distributing it to all of those in need.
If you are abused and persecuted for the sake of peace and mercy, have no fear, the powers of sin and evil, along with the pain they bring, the reality of sickness and death; these are temporalities, and they will come to an end.
First Reading - Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14
I Saw a Huge Number, Impossible to Count,
of People from Every Nation, Race, Tribe and Language
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.’
Responsorial Psalm - Psalm 23(24):1-6
The
Lord Comes to His Temple
The
man with clean hands and pure heart will climb the mountain of the Lord.
Alleluia,
alleluia!
The
Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world and all who live in it.
He
himself founded it upon the seas
and set it firm over the waters.
Who
will climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
The
one who is innocent of wrongdoing and pure of heart,
who has not given himself to vanities or
sworn falsely.
He
will receive the blessing of the Lord
and be justified by God his saviour.
This
is the way of those who seek him,
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Gates,
raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,
and let the king of glory enter.
Who
is the king of glory?
The
Lord of might and power.
The Lord, strong in battle.
Gates,
raise your heads. Stand up, eternal doors,
and let the king of glory enter.
Who
is the king of glory?
The
Lord of hosts
– he is the king of glory.
Amen.
The
man with clean hands and pure heart will climb the mountain of the Lord.
Alleluia!
Second Reading - 1 John 3:1-3
We Shall be Like God Because We Shall
See Him as He Really Is
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.
Gospel Acclamation – Matthew 11:28
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
The Gospel According to Matthew
5:1-12a
How Happy are the Poor in Spirit
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.’
A Homily – Feast of All Saints, a
Holy Day of Obligation (Year C)
