The solemnity of All Saints is an important celebration for us in our faith. It is a holy day of obligation, a day when we are obligated to attend mass together as a community to celebrate this day together. Today, we celebrate and honor the example, witness, and intercessions of the holy men and women who make up the community of saints in heaven. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches that “being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness....They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us...So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped.”
The Gospel today is the Beatitudes from Matthew’s Gospel. Even though the Beatitudes are a very familiar part of Sacred Scriptures, perhaps we still have a hard time understanding the teaching that is behind the Beatitudes. If you think about what our secular society sees as a blessing, you might name things such as riches and material wealth, popularity, power, fame, intelligence, and athletic ability. Those considered blessed by Jesus would not be seen as blessed through the eyes of our world: the poor in spirit, the merciful, the clean of heart, the peacemakers, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, and those who mourn. Yet, those whom Jesus names in the Beatitudes are those who truly live out the Gospel in their lives. For example, the poor in spirit are those who place their reliance on God and on the values of the Gospel, who put their faith in God, rather than in the fleeting, secular values of the world. Those who are merciful show love, compassion, mercy, and forgiveness to their neighbor, even when it is difficult to do so, even when it would be so much easier to seek revenge or retribution. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are those who seek to bring justice and peace into our world, who are willing to stand up for the values of our faith even when it means that they will suffer greatly for it. Jesus sees those who live out the values of the Gospel as being truly blessed.
Today, we celebrate the Community of Saints that is a real part of our lives of faith. We celebrate the members of the Community of Saints who lived out the values of the Gospel and the reality of the Beatitudes in their lives here on earth. There are many famous and beloved saints who have been recognized by our Church, such as St Francis of Assisi, St Joseph, Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and St Joan of Arc. But, we also recognize those members of our Community of Saints who are less famous and who are not officially named as such by the Church. Think of the little grandmothers who went to mass each day and devoutly raised their children and grandchildren in the faith. Think of the fathers who worked in the fields and the factories each day to provide for their families, who lived out the values of the Gospel each day and who instilled those values in their family members by their examples. We can all think of deceased loved ones and family members who influenced our lives of faith and who are now members of the Community of Saints. In celebrating All Saints Day today, we also celebrate the importance of community in our lives of faith. Our personal relationship with God is indeed very important, but our journey in life and our journey in faith take place in the community; it is in community that we live out our faith and the values of the Gospel. Our faith community helps us and encourages us on our journey. Our faith community helps educate us and nurture us. And the Community of Saints not only helps us through its witness, but through the prayers and friendship its members provide to us as well.
Today, we give thanks for the Community of Saints in our lives, for the help, prayers, and witness that the saints provide us.
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