SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS HOMILY — YEAR B
SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS HOMILY — YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: “SAINTS HAVE THEIR PAST; SINNERS HAVE THEIR FUTURE.”
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3/ Matthew 5:1-12
Today we honor all the saints. They are our models and heroes in our life as Christians. They give us inspiration and encouragement in our struggle to overcome sins and grow in holiness. The saints were also sinners just like us. But they firmly resolved to turn away from sin and faithfully follow the Lord. If they were able to do it, we also can, by the grace of God.
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We humbly admit that we are sinners. But we ought not be discouraged. Nor should we be content in remaining in sin. For, after all, we have hope and victory in Jesus: “Miserable one that I am! Who will deliver me from this body? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” (Rom 7:24-25).
In the first reading today, St. John reminds us of our sublime dignity: “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are” (1Jn 3:1). As God’s children, then, we ought to be holy. That is our ultimate vocation – to be holy as the heavenly Father is holy. Our future is to be holy.
A famous quotation says, “Saints have their past; sinners have their future.” In other words, our sinfulness should not be reason for us to stop striving for holiness. On the contrary, when we humbly acknowledge our weaknesses and shortcomings, God’s grace will work more effectively in us and help us grow, slowly but surely, in holiness and greatness. As St. Paul said, “Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rom 5:20). Then, he concluded, “I will rather boast most gladly of my weaknesses, in order that the power of Christ may dwell with me. Therefore, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and constraints, for the sake of Christ; for when I am weak, then I am strong” (2Cor 12:9-10).
Let me share with you this beautiful story from an unknown author.
A farmer had two large clay water containers. He hanged them on each end of a pole, which he carried across his shoulders. While one container was new and in good condition, the other one had a crack in it. As expected, while the farmer carries water from the well to the house, the defective container could only manage to bring in half of the load. The rest of the water leaks out from the crack on its side.
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This made the poor cracked container ashamed of himself. “I pity my master,” he said to himself. “He fills me up with water, but I am able to deliver only half of it to the house.” After some time of shame and frustration, he managed to talk to the farmer. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apologize to you,” he said. “Because of my defect, so much water is wasted, and you don’t get full value from all your efforts”.��
The farmer comforted him and said, “Don’t be so hard on yourself. Look around. Do you see the beautiful flowers along the path leading to my house? I have always known about your defect. So, instead of feeling bad about it, I took advantage of it. I planted flower seeds along the path, and every day while we walk back from the well, you have watered them. These flowers that make the pathway colorful and add beauty to my house came from that crack on your side.”��
As we honor all the saints today, let us remember that they, too, had their holes and cracks. But these did not hinder them from following Jesus. Rather, these made them always humble and totally dependent on God and more open to His graces.
Let us not be discouraged by our failures and mistakes. No one is perfect. We are earthen vessels with holes and cracks. But if we are truly humble and fully rely on God’s mercy and wisdom, the Lord will use our flaws for His glory and the salvation of souls. In God’s great economy, nothing goes to waste. For, indeed, “God can write straight with crooked lines.”
There should be no excuse. We are all called to be saints. We are expected to become saints. As St. Teresa of Kolkata said, “All of us must be saints in this world. Holiness is a duty for you and me. So, let’s be saints and so give glory to the Father.”
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