A reading of the holy Gospel according to 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.”
REFLECTION
"Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.”
The Lord is our inheritance. God showed us the path of life and the saints chose to follow it. The beatitudes were practiced daily. They walked without blame, did what was right and spoke truth from the heart.
There is life, death and resurrection. The vast majority of saints in heaven do not have a specific day to celebrate their lives and work. There are many such saints who through their obedience to God, charity and faith are now enjoying the company of the Divine Presence.
The Catholic practice on All Saints Day celebrates all those who have entered heaven, and by their examples, writings, holy lives, and miraculous intercessions are recognized by the Church.
On November 1, All Saints Day, the focus is on known saints recognized in the canon of the Saints in the Catholic Church but also honors all the saints of the church, whether they are known or unknown. It is a Catholic Holy Day of Obligation, meaning all Catholics are required to attend Mass on that day. This year 2021 the Solemnity of All Saint's falls on a Monday. The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops decided to eliminate the obligation to attend Mass because it falls on a Monday.
However, it is highly recommended that all faithful who are able to attend Mass are still invited to do so or to join the universal Church by celebrating this important solemnity through prayer.
It was formally started by Pope Boniface IV, who consecrated the Pantheon at Rome to the Virgin Mary and all the Martyrs on May 13 in 609 AD. Boniface IV also established All Souls' Day, which follows All Saints. The holy day was eventually established on November 1 by Pope Gregory III in the mid-eighth century as a day dedicated to the saints and their relics. The May 13 celebration was subsequently abandoned. It was Pope Gregory IV who decreed it be a Holy Day of Obligation on November 1.
Our happiness lies in God alone. He is the prize. Today we commemorate the saints. In so doing may we be inflamed by their example and in turn long to be united with God.
For the current Vatican decree on plenary indulgences for the month of November please visit the Catholicnewsagency.com
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