All Saints' Day
Saturday 31st October 2020
We are given a glimpse into our ultimate future as we celebrate the glory of countless millions of people who won through the centuries and have gone home to God. Those who are now gathered in heaven with Christ were men and women who worked and suffered for the love of God. They took their faith seriously enough to allow it to shape their lives in order to complete the task that God has given them. Those who are canonised are only a fraction of God's friends. In the hard experience of life they managed to keep their sight on the living God, trusting that He would work all things for the good. Their outstanding quality was faithful perseverance in the long and painful task.
This gospel, Matthew 5:1-12, paints a picture of the qualities Jesus considers necessary for making a person a saint. He lets us see the value of a humble daily life and how precious it can be if we take up our cross and follow Him. The saints are put before us for our imitation to show us the way and point out the path we have to travel. All Saints’ Day gives us fresh courage to renew our commitment and to thank God for giving ordinary people like us the ability to become saints. As we honour the saints, we pray that where they are, we also may one day be.
Fr. Arsenio