Table of Contents
Reading of The Day Rv 7:2-4,9-14
First reading from the Book of Revelation
Rv 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
“Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel.
After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice:
“Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb.”
All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed:
“Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”
Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
“Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me,
“These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
Second reading from the Letter of John 1 Jn 3:1-3
Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY Mt 5: 1-12a
From the Gospel according to Matthew
Mt 5:1-12a
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 Word of God for Everyone
Dear People of God,
Today, the Church celebrates the saints in heaven. Saints are those who have lived a life pleasing to God while living on earth. They have gone through purifications, trials, and hardships; and through their steadfastness and loyalty to God, He has cleansed them of all stains in their bodies and souls, so they can now enjoy the bright glory of God. They are happily with God the Father, always adoring in singing and praising the Most High God, the Almighty, and the Most Merciful.
God has given this solemnity day so that humanity may commune with the saints in Heaven. The saints always intercede with God, so that everyone living in this world knows how to live to please God. God loves humanity, so He has provided for the saints to accompany humans, but humankind has not yet acknowledged the gift of God’s love. Therefore, the Word of God today calls on everyone:
-To follow the example of the saints of the past who had gone through such difficult and challenging purifications, and they remained faithful to God until the end; therefore they pleased God, and God gave them the grace to attain His holy presence. The saints have left for us the path to a holy life to please God, which is the path of The Eight Beatitudes. The Eight Beatitudes are the Word of God’s teachings to help us live more perfectly every day.
-Always have faith in God so that He can enlighten and guide us on the path to holiness according to each person’s circumstances.
And to live a holy and perfect life before God, each person must undergo a purification full of challenges and difficulties, and must go through the path of the Eight Beatitudes, which is the path of perfection that always pleases God.
May we walk on the path of the Eight Beatitudes to attain the holy presence of God, as the saints in the past had to go through the path of the Eight Beatitudes, which are the paths of sorrow, persecution, and condemnation. The path of purification and love.
May we look at each beatitude to choose the path to holiness, and follow the example of the saints of the past, as no saint can attain the holy presence of God without going through difficult purifications and challenges.
-Be assured, steadfast, and have faith in the love of God for humanity; do not waver, do not worry, do not be afraid, yet firmly walk on the path that God has walked and taught throughout His earthly journey; which are the path of sacrifice, the path of suffering and the cross.
It is God’s desire that we undergo purification, to go through hardships and trials so that when He calls us out of this world, we will certainly attain glorious happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven, and attain the glorious light of the presence of God the Father.
God always loves humanity and calls upon us to never separate from God, never separate from His love; for it is that love that will help us to walk steadily on the path of suffering, the path of the cross that Jesus and the saints once went through; for we must go through trials, hardships, and sufferings to reach glory.
• May we look at the path to holiness according to the Eight Beatitudes that God Himself taught to humanity; to live each beatitude to the fullest to walk on the path to holiness.
God always longs for us to become holier each day. His heart yearns for His children to soften our hearts so that He can cleanse and purify us.
In this way, after God calls us out of this world, we deserve to attain eternal happiness with God the Father.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
