The solemnity of all saints
Rev. 7: 2-4, 9-14 1 John 3: 1-3 Mathew 5: 1-12a
Theme: The church triumphant
Today the church celebrates the solemnity of all saints. Today’s celebration presents us the opportunity to celebrate all the saints, both those in the liturgical calendar and those that are not there. This is because the number of saints we have in the church outnumber the number of days we have in a year. Our celebration today is a source of great strength and hope for those of us who are still alive. This is because the saints we celebrate today are men and women who lived at a time in history, just like we are living today, and we celebrate them yearly because of the life they lived while on earth.
Dear friends in Christ, some of these saints were people whose life was not very wonderful at the beginning, but when they later encountered God, everything changed, and they gave everything for the sake of God; without counting the cost. For instance, this was the story of St. Paul, St. Augustine and some other saints. What this simply means my brothers and sisters in Christ is that we can all aspire for sainthood. It is never too late for us to retrace our steps and embrace the way of the Beatitude like some of the saints did. These men and women we honour today, were not extra-ordinary people, they were like you and I, just that they strived after holiness of life and gave everything to attain salvation. In recent time, we have had the privilege to have an encounter with some of the saints we celebrate today in the church. Two of the saints that readily comes to mind is Pope John Paul ii and Mother Theresa of Calcutta. This is to tell us that we can also become saints and be celebrated one day if we give it our best, by striving after holiness of life.
Dearly beloved in Christ, today we are among the church militant, and in the future, we would want to be among the church triumphant that we celebrate today, but the question is what are we doing to make it a reality for us? Becoming a saint begins with our daily life and the choices we make. In view of this, we are all encouraged to embrace a life that is good and pleasing to God. Holiness of life is a necessity in this noble quest that we are aspiring to attain. Just know that it is never too late with God, make the decision and begin today. When there is will, there is always a way. May God grant us the firm resolution to embrace holiness of life. May almighty God bless you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. Peace be with you.