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Gospel Reading for November 1, 2024 – Matthew 5: 1-12a
CELEBRATING A MILLION LIVES
Solemnity of All Saints
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger
and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted
for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you
and persecute you and utter
every kind of evil against you
falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
————
Our gospel reading for today is what is commonly called “The Beatitudes.” Some have coined the word – THE BE ATTITUDES. Those of us who think that being good in life or having the right attitudes in life is burdensome, have to think twice. Unlike the scribes and Pharisees, Jesus’ style was to accent goodness and the rewards that come with it. Indeed, the best choice in life is always, to do good because we reap the rewards while still on earth when we become the very best we can be as persons, make life better for others, and we reap the heavenly reward after our life on earth. Doing bad deeds is the opposite – we become the worst a person can be, make life miserable for others, and we will reap eternal damnation.
As we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints (which includes not only the canonized ones but people we know who have lived lives following Jesus as best they could), we remember the great blessing God has given us through the sacrifice of his Son, of being given the second chance to live with him in eternity. Jesus’ sacrifice compared to our sacrifices is so great that it is shameful if we try to dodge our own crosses.
We have to remember that this day is so great because all of the people who have done their best to follow Jesus must be millions by now. WE ARE CELEBRATING A MILLION LIVES!
All saints in heaven, pray for us who are still doing our best to follow Jesus despite so many challenges, so that we may be reunited with God and with all of you someday!
