"These Are The Ones Who Have Survived The Time of Great Distress"

HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS. NOVEMBER 1, 2023.

Solemnity Of All Saints

“There is no surer way to know that one is a Saint than to see him lead a holy life and yet suffer desolation, trials, and tribulations”.
-St. Louis Gonzaga

Readings For The Solemnity

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My Dearest Friends in Christ,

I welcome you into the presence of God on this great Solemnity of All Saints. Today is a family celebration of many simple, hidden people who in reality help God to move the world forward. The Saints radiated the light of God’s love in the darkness of our world. On this special day, we are reminded that we too can become Saints if we persevere through this time of great struggle.

Let’s begin by asking a fundamental question of who is a Saint ? According to the Catholic Church a Saint is anyone in Heaven, whether recognized on earth or not, who forms the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). These may include our mothers, grandmothers, or other loved ones. So, they are not simply superhumans. In a more general way, the word Saint refers to the state of special holiness that many religions attribute to certain people. (Wikipedia)

John A. Coleman, SJ. (1987) in his work “Conclusion: After Sainthood” wrote that Saints across various cultures and religions have the following family resemblances or qualities :

Exemplary model, 2.extraordinary teacher, 3. wonderworker or source of benevolent power, 4. intercesor, 5. a life often refusing material attachments or comforts, 6. possession of special and revelatory power in relation to the holy, Looking at these remarkable qualities that distinguish Saints from sinners, one could easily conclude that they don’t fall into any of these categories or have those extraordinary qualities. A closer look at these qualities reveals the work of grace which we all received in Baptism. Those are not extraordinary but ordinary qualities. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus has this idea in mind when she encourages us to do little things with great devotion and love of God. So the qualities are the little ordinary things that were carried out with great devotion. What distinguishes a Saint from a sinner lies in their cooperation with this Grace of God and their submission to the Will of God even in the face of trial. It is this Grace that radiates extraordinarily in the lives of the Saints.

Paul speaks of this Grace when he says: “By the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me was not in vain” (cf. 1 Cor 15:10). It was this Grace that made a persecutor of Christians an ardent lover of the Gospel (Paul). It was this Grace that made a prostitute a Saint (Magdalene). It was this Grace that made a tax collector a Saint (Mathew). It was this Grace that gave St. Maria Goretti the strength to resist sexual advances and opt to die rather than submit. So what makes you feel you don’t have this Grace which is the inner capacity freely given by God which enables us to do good and strive for perfection? Do you know that the ordinary things you neglect or indulge in could deprive you of Sainthood ? No one is born a Saint. We must all strive to be one. Every Saint has a past and every sinner has a future. So a sinful past does not prevent one from becoming a Saint. What is needed is for you to leave your past to embrace the present in Christ by making a perpetual decision to leave the sinful present to embrace a Grace- filled future with Christ.

Leaving behind a sinful past is one remarkable thing in the lives of Saints, without which there would have been no room for the Grace of God to shine forth in their lives. If you desire Sainthood start today to fully emancipate yourself from any lifestyle that contradicts your Christian calling.

The first reading from the Revelation of John gives us a remarkable insight into who the Saints are. It was recorded in this Revelation of John that the Elder asked , “Who were these in the white robes? ” John answered,

“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 .” Surviving great distress means surviving the persecutions, hardship, difficulties, and the allurements of worldly vanities. Our lives on earth are not without challenges. Challenges to faith and our well-being. Wordly persecutions are part of our daily experience but our ability to stand firm without compromise puts us in the rank of Saints. Jesus says to his disciples,

“Those who persevere to the end will be saved. ” These are the Saints. (cf.Math 24:13) Although the Church beatifies and canonizes a person as a Saint after death, Sainthood is lived here on earth. St. Theresa of the Child Jesus lived a saintly life on earth . She once said, “I will spend eternity doing good on earth”.

Unfortunately many are compromising their Christian faith today either to secure a future or to avoid losing that to which they give more priority than they give to God. A life of compromise instead of perseverance in trials and tribulations robs us of eternal peace with God and deprives us of Sainthood..

The Gospel presents us with the eight Beatitudes which remind us of the type of life that is required to be Saints. The Beatitudes are qualities often taken for granted because they are contrary to worldly standards and expectations. But these areas I mentioned are what distinguish the Saints. When we become children of God in Baptism, we hope to become more like those named as blessed-more meek, more merciful, more hungry for righteousness and more apt to make peace. This gives the Beatitudes a moral imperative. When Jesus says, “Make disciples of all nations” (Matt. 28:19), the Beatitudes describe the character these disciples are meant to exemplify. The Beatitudes are not conditions of salvation.They are not a judgment against all who fail to measure up. Instead, they are a blessing for any who consent to join themselves to God’s Kingdom as it “comes near.”

Do you want to be a Saint ? Look at these paths to holiness in daily life .👇

Be poor in spirit. The “poor in spirit” are those who cast themselves on God’s Grace. We acknowledge our spiritual bankruptcy before God.

Mourn. Those blessed with mourning about their failings can receive comfort by admitting their errors.

Be Meek: Many assume the term “meek” means weak, tame, or deficient in courage. But the biblical understanding of meekness is power under control. The power under God’s control means two things. (1) refusal to inflate our self-estimation and (2) reticence to assert ourselves for ourselves. Paul captures the first aspect perfectly in Romans 12:3.

Be righteous. The righteous are those who maintain the right relationships with God and with the people around them. Based on the right relationships those who commit infractions are acquitted of guilt.

Be merciful. Mercy consists of treating people better than they deserve from us. Forgiveness is a type of mercy. So is aiding someone whom we have no obligation to help, or forbearing to exploit someone’s vulnerability.

Be clean and pure. Those who have clean hands and pure hearts do not lift their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully..( Ps 24:3-5).

Make peace. This seventh Beatitude takes every Christian into the task of conflict resolution. Conflicts arise whenever people have differences of opinion, greed, hatred and prejudice. In a fallen world like ours, the tendency is to ignore conflict or suppress it by using force, threat, or intimidation .We are called to be peacemakers.

Be firm in the face of persecution. Persecution arising from unrighteous behavior is not blessed. If we fail through our fault, we should expect to suffer negative consequences. In this last Beatitude, Jesus is talking about the blessing of being persecuted for doing what is right.

Now you and I know that living the Beatitudes and sanctity of life is what it takes to be a Saint. This sanctity comes with a price, which is perseverance in doing what pleases God and cooperation with the gift of Grace from God. The second reading from the first letter of John reminds us that what we shall be in the future has not yet been revealed, but we do know that when it is revealed we shall be like God. May this hope sustain us in our earthly journey as the pilgrim Church, so that at the end of this earthly journey we shall all be united with the Saints in the Church Triumphant in Heaven. May the Saints pray for us. Peace and blessings.

Song: Oh when the saints are marching on, Lord, I want to be in their number…