Solemnity of all the Saints … Mt. 5: 1 – 12a … November 1st 2014. In the gospel of Luke, we have a striking incident, wherein the mother and family members of Jesus arrive to visit Jesus and He is told of their presence. After having listened to them, Jesus said, “my mother and my brothers are those who hear the Word of God and do it (Lk. 8: 21).” In a way, Jesus indirectly raised His mother because it was Mary who heard the Word of God, manifested to her by the Angel Gabriel at the Annunciation. But then hearing the Word of God and living it would imply a total self-surrender and identification with Jesus Christ in and through our lives. Well, today as we celebrate the Solemnity of all the Saints, we are reminded of those millions of people who lived the Word of God in their earthly journey but are now living in the kingdom of God. These are the unsung heroes who lived the beatitudes in their life. They are saints in their own right because of the sanctity of life that they lived here on earth. Vatican II invites each and every faithful to lead a life of holiness. Holiness is not a primacy of a few chosen or selected faithful but is a gift and a grace of God. John in his letter reminds us that “…we are God’s children now and what we shall be has not yet been revealed. Yet when He appears in His glory, we know that we shall be like Him, for then we shall see Him as He is (1 Jn. 3: 2).” In our modern times, Pope St. John Paul II exhorts us that to live the beatitudes we must make a sincere reappraisal of our lifestyle with a view to living more austerely and in solidarity with the poor of the world. The privilege of the saints is to be in the presence of God. Lumen Gentium explicitly identifies Christian holiness on union with Jesus Christ. Thus, for example: ...because of their more intimate union with Christ, those in heaven establish the whole Church more firmly in holiness (LG 49). And further, in a virtual definition of Christian holiness, LG speaks of the surest way by which, through the vicissitudes of this world, we can reach perfect union with Christ, that is, holiness (LG 50). Let us pray that we may live the Beatitudes in our life and live in the presence of God forever. Let us also make efforts to grow in holiness. All the Saints intercede for us.
Posted on: Fri, 31 Oct 2014 14:49:46 +0000
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