The Feast of All Saints, Wednesday, November 1, 2023

Matthew 5, 1–12

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.”

The Sermon on the Mount, which St. Matthew records and from which the Gospel Reading of today’s Mass is drawn, contains much of the Lord’s moral and pastoral doctrine.  It is also a mirror of the Lord himself: his mercy, his zeal for souls, his profound wisdom, his practical nature, his humility, and his simplicity.  All these are found in the Beatitudes, which come at the head of the Sermon.  In fact, we can read the Beatitudes as follows: I am poor in spirit (cf. Luke 22, 27).  I am one who mourns (cf. Luke 19, 41).  I am meek (cf. Matthew 11, 29).  I hunger and thirst for righteousness (cf. Luke 12, 50); I am merciful (cf. Luke 23, 34).  I am clean of heart (cf. John 8, 46).  I make peace (cf. Matthew 11, 28).  I am the one on whose account you will be persecuted (cf. Matthew 10, 22).

Likewise, the holy ones of God and those who strive for holiness, the saints in heaven and the devout here on earth, make themselves mirrors of the Lord’s virtues, inspiring us to imitate them.  As St. Paul said to the Corinthian Christians, who had no other model for sanctity than him: “Be imitators of me as I am also of Christ” (1 Corinthians 11, 1).  That is, we should not necessarily unthinkingly copy the actions of the saints but imitate their virtues, even as they imitated those of the Lord Jesus.  Now, we can also avail ourselves of their prayers so that we may become saints ourselves: “And another angel came and stood before the altar, having a golden censer: and there was given to him much incense, that he should offer of the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne of God. And the smoke of the incense of the prayers of the saints ascended up before God from the hand of the angel” (Revelation 8, 3-4).  The prayers of the saints go before Almighty God as sweet-smelling incense, pleasing him.  Certainly if the Son of God counsels us all to ask and we shall receive, the prayers of those who did God’s will on earth and sing his praises continually in heaven will gain a favorable hearing.

And this praise is the main work of the saints, as it shall be ours should we join them: “They serve him day and night in his temple. And he who sits on the throne shall dwell over them. They shall no more hunger nor thirst: neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat. For the Lamb, who is in the midst of the throne, shall rule them and shall lead them to the fountains of the waters of life: and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes” (Revelation 7, 15-17).  They sing the hymn of the Virgin Mary: “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord! My spirit rejoices in God my Savior!”  for Mary is the Queen of all the saints.