A Homily for All Saints Day
“I am no saint.” I am sure that most of us have heard someone, if not ourselves, utter that line. “I am no saint.” Often we hear this said as an excuse for wrong behavior. “I am no saint.” While it is good to be truthful in acknowledging our sinfulness and areas where we still need the grace of conversion to Christ Jesus, too often this line is almost used as a boast.
By our Baptismal promises we are all called to be saints; to “be holy as God is holy.” To be a saint is to be a “holy one” who leads a life in union with God through the grace of Christ. Today we honor all those members of Christ’s Mystical Body who led such a life of union with God, through the grace of Christ, and have now received the reward of eternal life. While we who continue in this earthly life make up the Church Suffering and the Church Militant, the saints we honor today now stand in the presence of God as part of the Church Triumphant. Yet there is only one Church – Suffering, Militant, and Triumphant – all members of the One Body of Christ Jesus our Lord. The Saints Triumphant are a source of hope for those of us who are members of the Church Suffering and Militant; they are models for guiding us in living a life in union with God, and they strengthen us in times of difficulties through their intercessions.
So now all of you want to be saints. FANTASTIC!! Everyone who hopes to be a saint, that is to stand in the presence of God, needs to make themselves pure as God is pure – that is pure love. Fortunately our good and gracious God has provided us a Map of Life to help us know how to live a life in union with Him through the grace of His Son, namely the Beatitudes, which we heard proclaimed in this evening’s Gospel reading. Most of you know that the word “Beatitude” comes from the word “Blessed” which starts off each of the Beatitudes given us in St. Matthew’s Gospel. There was a time, not too long ago, when the Beatitudes were often rendered, “Happy are those….” This was an unfortunate translation of the Greek word, Makarios, for the Greek word does not have the primary meaning of “happiness” as a subjective experience, as a mere emotion which can change quickly. Rather the Greek word, which is better translated into English as “Blessed,” indicates one’s favorable standing in the grace of God’s covenant. These Covenant blessings are gifts that our Heavenly Father bestows on His children. Thus the eight Beatitudes which we heard this evening proclaim the blessings of the New Covenant, made through the Blood of Jesus, which are introduced on earth and fully realized in heaven.
Much has been written on the Beatitudes and what they teach us about the Christian life, and it would not be possible to discuss them fully in one homily. However I would like to briefly outline one schema for understanding the Beatitudes in the life of the Faithful. It is a schema used by both St. Augustine and St. Thomas Aquinas, and it links the Beatitudes to the Gifts of the Holy Spirit. The “poor in spirit” exercise the Fear of the Lord that is a gift of reverence for God that awakens the soul to its weaknesses and promotes a childlike fear of the Father. Those who “mourn” exercise the Gift of Knowledge that imparts a correct estimation of created things and their relative value before God. The “meek” exercise the Gift of Piety, the filial love for God that moves the soul to worship and protects against the hardening of one’s heart in the midst of trials. Those who “hunger and thirst for righteousness” exercise the Gift of Fortitude, the firm resolution to purse holiness despite obstacles. The “merciful” exercise the Gift of Counsel that assists in decision-making, helps guard against rashness in action, and aids us in extending compassion to others. The “clean of heart” exercise the Gift of Understanding that gives us insight into the mysteries of the faith, not merely an intellectual understanding but also the spiritual perceptions of the heart. The “peacemakers” exercise the Gift of Wisdom, the contemplative reflection on and love for divine things so that one is able to assess the world by revealed truths and instills the soul with peace. The eighth Beatitude, regarding those who are “persecuted” summarizes the first seven, and points out that there is no Jesus without the Cross. To live the Christian life, to truly live it, means that there will be persecution, trial, and rejection. Yet we know that the Cross, Good Friday, is not the end of the story; rather it leads to the joy of Easter and the Resurrection. The saints in heaven, whom we honor today, already share the fullness of the kingdom of heaven. Through the witness of their lives and through their prayers of intercession they strength us in this life and give us hope in everlasting life.
