Daily Gospel ~ Friday, 1 November 2013
At this, many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.(John 6:68, Messianic WEB)
All Saints - Solemnity
Feast of the Church:
SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS
Today the Church, as the liturgy states, has "the joy of celebrating in one feast the merits and the glory of all the Saints" : not only of those whom she has canonized in the course of the centuries, but also of the numberless men and women whose holiness, hidden in this world, is only known to God and shines in his eternal kingdom.
Thinking of these illustrious witnesses of the Gospel, we give thanks to God, "source of all holiness" for having given them to the Church and to the world. With their example, they prove that, as the Council teaches, "All the faithful are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity" (Lumen gentium, n. 40), tending to the "high standard" of ordinary Christian life (cf. Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte, n.31).
Today's feast invites us to lift our eyes to heaven, the goal of our earthly pilgrimage. There the festive community of the saints awaits us. There we will have the company of our dear departed ones for whom we pray in tomorrow's solemn liturgical commemoration.
Thinking of these illustrious witnesses of the Gospel, we give thanks to God, "source of all holiness" for having given them to the Church and to the world. With their example, they prove that, as the Council teaches, "All the faithful are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity" (Lumen gentium, n. 40), tending to the "high standard" of ordinary Christian life (cf. Apostolic Letter Novo Millennio ineunte, n.31).
Today's feast invites us to lift our eyes to heaven, the goal of our earthly pilgrimage. There the festive community of the saints awaits us. There we will have the company of our dear departed ones for whom we pray in tomorrow's solemn liturgical commemoration.
John Paul II, Angelus (November 1, 2002) - Copyright © Libreria Editrice Vaticana
All Saints - Solemnity
Book of Revelation 7:2 I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea, 3 saying, “Don’t harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!” 4 I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:9 After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could count, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands. 10 They cried with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God, 12 saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen.”
13 One of the elders answered, saying to me, “These who are arrayed in the white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?”
14 I told him, “My lord, you know.”
He said to me, “These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb’s blood.(Messianic WEB)
Psalm 24:A Psalm by David.
1 The earth is the LORD’s, with its fullness;
the world, and those who dwell therein.
2 For he has founded it on the seas,
and established it on the floods.
3 Who may ascend to the LORD’s hill?
Who may stand in his holy place?
4 He who has clean hands and a pure heart;
who has not lifted up his soul to falsehood,
and has not sworn deceitfully.
5 He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
righteousness from the God of his salvation.
6 This is the generation of those who seek Him,
who seek your face—even Jacob.(Messianic WEB)
1 John 3:1 See how great a love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God! For this cause the world doesn’t know us, because it didn’t know him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be. But we know that, when he is revealed, we will be like him; for we will see him just as he is. 3 Everyone who has this hope set on him purifies himself, even as he is pure.(Messianic WEB)
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ According to Saint Matthew 5:1 Seeing the multitudes, he went up onto the mountain. When he had sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 He opened his mouth and taught them, saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.✡
4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.✡
5 Blessed are the gentle,
for they shall inherit the earth.*✡
6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness,
for they shall be filled.
7 Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall obtain mercy.
8 Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.
9 Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called children of God.
10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when people reproach you, persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 12 Rejoice, and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.(Messianic WEB)
All Saints - Solemnity
Commentary of the day:
Catechism of the Catholic Church
§ 946, 955-961
« I believe in the communion of saints »
After confessing "the holy catholic Church," the Apostles' Creed adds "the communion of saints." In a certain sense this article is a further explanation of the preceding: "What is the Church if not the assembly of all the saints?" (Nicetas) The communion of saints is the Church...
The communion of the Church of heaven and of earth: "So it is that the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods" (Vatican II, LG49). The intercession of the saints: "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped” (LG 49). “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life” (St. Dominic); “I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth” (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus).
Communion with the saints...: "Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom... issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself" (LG 50)... In the one family of God: "For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church" (LG 51).
In brief: The Church is a "communion of saints": this expression refers first to the "holy things", above all the Eucharist, by which "the unity of believers, who form one body in Christ, is both represented and brought about" (LG 3). The term "communion of saints" refers also to the communion of "holy persons" in Christ who "died for all," so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all.
The communion of the Church of heaven and of earth: "So it is that the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods" (Vatican II, LG49). The intercession of the saints: "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped” (LG 49). “Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life” (St. Dominic); “I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth” (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus).
Communion with the saints...: "Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom... issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself" (LG 50)... In the one family of God: "For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church" (LG 51).
In brief: The Church is a "communion of saints": this expression refers first to the "holy things", above all the Eucharist, by which "the unity of believers, who form one body in Christ, is both represented and brought about" (LG 3). The term "communion of saints" refers also to the communion of "holy persons" in Christ who "died for all," so that what each one does or suffers in and for Christ bears fruit for all.
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