YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS (1)

YEAR B: HOMILY FOR THE SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS

HOMILY THEME: LIVING IN
ACCORDANCE WITH GOD’S HOLY WILL.

BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon

 

HOMILY:

(Mt. 5:1-12) Feast of All the Saints

ALL Saints and saints Day today!

It is THE special day dedicated to all who had lived life in accordance with God’s Holy Will. They are those who had understood the Beatitudes not with their minds but with their hearts and their lives. They were those who had realized God’s mercy and compassion. They were thankful for the repeated chances given to them. And they were witnesses to God’s unceasing presence and guidance.

“The Church thus honors all the Saints reigning together in glory;

1. To give thanks to God for the graces and crowns of His servants,

2. To move ourselves to strive after their virtues by considering their example,

3. To implore the divine mercy through this multitude of powerful intercessors,

4. And to repair any failure or insufficiency in not having duly honored God in His Saints on their particular festivals,

5. And to glorify Him in those Saints who are unknown to us or for whom no particular festivals are appointed.” (Butler’s Book of Saints)

While we honor the Saints on this day, let us not forget to honor God first and foremost. We always claim, base on our experience, that sainthood is impossible to achieve. Indeed, if we view saints as those who had committed no sins at all, it is not only impossible but unattainable. Also, if we understand sainthood as inborn, meaning some are destined to be one and some are not, we may exclude ourselves to it. The truth is, God created us and in that sense, our destiny is to be a saint. We believe that because of the sins of Adam and Eve, we have lost paradise, Jesus, by His death and resurrection, gained it back for us. We receive it when we are baptized. We strive to be holy in this life. We hope at the end of our lives to have been worthy of God’s love.

Some will be recognized, after some processes, as Saints for all the members of the Church to emulate. But some would only be known to some and to God to have lived exemplary lives. In both cases, we believe in God’s grace and mercy. Their lives were not white as snow. They too had been weak and committed sins, venial and mortal. Those weaknesses did not disqualify them from being a Saint. In fact, they helped verify and authenticate their holiness. Not that one needed to commit sins to become a saint. But, having been guilty of sinning, all is not lost. God’s healing power, mercy, and love were able to set free one who had been imprisoned in sin. And having received forgiveness and another chance, the forgiven sinner proceeded to faithfully witness a truly Christian life.

We go to the cemeteries today, knowingly or unknowingly, to honor our love ones as saints. Nothing wrong with that. In fact, it is apt and Christian. We have prayed for our departed love ones and we are not far from the truth if, for us and to God, they had been forgiven, paid their dues, and merited salvation, meaning, Sainthood! May our Saints and blessed departed love ones intercede for us!

Amen!

FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE>>>>

Discover more from Catholic For Life

Subscribe now to keep reading and get access to the full archive.

Continue reading