9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands; 10 and they shouted,
“Victory to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living beings; they fell face down before the throne and worshipped God, saying,
12 “Amen!
“Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,
honor and power and strength
belong to our God forever and ever!
“Amen!”
13 One of the elders asked me, “These people dressed in white robes — who are they, and where are they from?” 14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.
All Saints (Solemnity)Salvation comes from our God. (Revelation 7:10)
Today we honor all the saints, who form “so great a cloud of witnesses” for us and for the whole Church (Hebrews 12:1). We don’t often think about it, but millions of holy men and women are in heaven right now, praying for us and cheering us on. If you could hear them, they might be saying, “Don’t give up! Stay close to Jesus! It really is worth it!”
For the most part, these saints are people just like us, only now they’re in heaven. Their lives mirrored ours—our desires, our doubts, and our struggles to follow Jesus. Are you a wife, a mother, or a teacher? Then look to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton. Are you praying for family members who have fallen away from the faith? Ask St. Monica to pray for them also. Do you struggle dividing your time between prayer, work, and play? Let St. Benedict help you.
Today’s feast reminds us that the saints in heaven aren’t just the famous ones like Mother Teresa or Francis of Assisi. The list includes our deceased parents, grandparents, old friends, and former pastors. Those who were closest to us in life are also close in spirit to us now—a sort of heavenly support group! They’re looking down on us with love and concern, and they want nothing more than to see us grow into Christ’s love more and more each day.
Isn’t God’s plan wonderful? He has already given us the gift of life. He has given us families and friends. He has given us our own unique set of gifts and talents, which we can use to glorify him. He has even given us the gift of salvation, along with the sacraments and the life of grace to sustain us. And still that is not enough. In addition to all these gifts, he has called us to be with him in heaven—forever!
“Thank you, Lord, for all the saints who pray for me and help me every day. I praise and glorify you, Lord, for preparing me a place with them, where I can worship you for all eternity.” Amen!
Psalm 24:(0) By David. A psalm:
(1) The earth is Adonai’s, with all that is in it,
the world and those who live there;
2 for he set its foundations on the seas
and established it on the rivers.
3 Who may go up to the mountain of Adonai?
Who can stand in his holy place?
4 Those with clean hands and pure hearts,
who don’t make vanities the purpose of their lives
or swear oaths just to deceive.
5 They will receive a blessing from Adonai
and justice from God, who saves them.
6 Such is the character of those who seek him,
of Ya‘akov, who seeks your face. (Selah)
1 John 3:1 See what love the Father has lavished on us in letting us be called God’s children! For that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it has not known him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now; and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in him continues purifying himself, since God is pure.
Matthew 5:1 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him, 2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
3 “How blessed are the poor in spirit!
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 “How blessed are those who mourn!
for they will be comforted.
5 “How blessed are the meek!
for they will inherit the Land![Matthew 5:5 Psalm 37:11]
6 “How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!
for they will be filled.
7 “How blessed are those who show mercy!
for they will be shown mercy.
8 “How blessed are the pure in heart!
for they will see God.
9 “How blessed are those who make peace!
for they will be called sons of God.
10 “How blessed are those who are persecuted
because they pursue righteousness!
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
Questions for Reflection or Group Discussion:
Mass Readings:
1st Reading: Revelation 7:2 I saw another angel coming up from the east with a seal from the living God, and he shouted to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea, 3 “Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads!” 4 I heard how many were sealed — 144,000 from every tribe of the people of Isra’el:
9 After this, I looked; and there before me was a huge crowd, too large for anyone to count, from every nation, tribe, people and language. They were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches in their hands; 10 and they shouted,
“Victory to our God,
who sits on the throne,
and to the Lamb!”
11 All the angels stood around the throne, the elders and the four living beings; they fell face down before the throne and worshipped God, saying,
12 “Amen!
“Praise and glory, wisdom and thanks,
honor and power and strength
belong to our God forever and ever!
“Amen!”
13 One of the elders asked me, “These people dressed in white robes — who are they, and where are they from?” 14 “Sir,” I answered, “you know.” Then he told me, “These are the people who have come out of the Great Persecution. They have washed their robes and made them white with the blood of the Lamb.
Responsorial: Psalm 24:(0) By David. A psalm:
(1) The earth is Adonai’s, with all that is in it,
the world and those who live there;
2 for he set its foundations on the seas
and established it on the rivers.
3 Who may go up to the mountain of Adonai?
Who can stand in his holy place?
4 Those with clean hands and pure hearts,
who don’t make vanities the purpose of their lives
or swear oaths just to deceive.
5 They will receive a blessing from Adonai
and justice from God, who saves them.
6 Such is the character of those who seek him,
of Ya‘akov, who seeks your face. (Selah)
Gospel: Matthew 5:1 Seeing the crowds, Yeshua walked up the hill. After he sat down, his talmidim came to him, 2 and he began to speak. This is what he taught them:
3 “How blessed are the poor in spirit!
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 “How blessed are those who mourn!
for they will be comforted.
5 “How blessed are the meek!
for they will inherit the Land![Matthew 5:5 Psalm 37:11]
6 “How blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!
for they will be filled.
7 “How blessed are those who show mercy!
for they will be shown mercy.
8 “How blessed are the pure in heart!
for they will see God.
9 “How blessed are those who make peace!
for they will be called sons of God.
10 “How blessed are those who are persecuted
because they pursue righteousness!
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “How blessed you are when people insult you and persecute you and tell all kinds of vicious lies about you because you follow me! 12 Rejoice, be glad, because your reward in heaven is great — they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.
2nd Reading: 1 John 3:1 See what love the Father has lavished on us in letting us be called God’s children! For that is what we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it has not known him. 2 Dear friends, we are God’s children now; and it has not yet been made clear what we will become. We do know that when he appears, we will be like him; because we will see him as he really is.
3 And everyone who has this hope in him continues purifying himself, since God is pure.
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1. The first reading from Book of Revelation is filled with great symbolism. It describes the “great multitude” of people in Heaven who “stood before the throne and before the Lamb” crying out with these words: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” What do these words mean to you? Why should they be a source of great joy and peace for us as the people of God?
2. The Responsorial Psalm asks these two challenging questions: “Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD? or who may stand in his holy place?” How would you answer these questions? This is how the psalmist answers these questions: “One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean, who desires not what is vain.” Why are the words above from the first reading a source of hope for us as we reflect on these challenging words?
3. The second reading from the first Letter of John begins with this inspiring and uplifting truth of who we are in Christ: “Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are.” How should the realization that you are a beloved child of your heavenly Father affect the way you think and live? Are there any obstacles in your life or in your thinking that keep you from seeing yourself as a beloved child of your heavenly Father? What are some steps you can take to overcome them?
4. The “Beatitudes” taught by Jesus in the Gospel reading describe a series of blessings that are ours as children of God. Perhaps, the most difficult blessing to receive (or understand) may be the last one: “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so men persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Why is this beatitude a reason to “Rejoice and be glad”? What do you think Jesus meant when he said: “your reward is great in heaven” and why should it motivate us and fill us with hope?
5. The meditation begins with these words: “Today we honor all the saints who form ‘so great a cloud of witnesses’ for us and for the whole Church (Hebrews 12:1). We don’t often think about it, but millions of holy men and women are in heaven right now, praying for us and cheering us on. If you could hear them, they might be saying, ‘Don’t give up! Stay close to Jesus! It really is worth it.’” The meditation goes on to say that the list of those praying for us “includes your deceased parents, grandparents, old friends, and former pastors.” How often do you think about the fact that many saints and deceased love ones are praying for you in heaven? Why is this important and in what way can it make a difference when you are going through difficult times?
6. Take some time now to pray and thank the Lord that you have many saints and loved ones in heaven praying for you, and thank him that, even now, he is preparing a place for you with them. Use the prayer at the end of the meditation as the starting point.
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