All Saints 

Reading 1: Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 

Responsorial Psalm: Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 

R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. 

Reading II: 1 Jn 3:1-3 

Gospel: Mt 5:1-12a 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, 

Before I begin the main part of my homily, I want to remind you of a great grace that is available to us. Today, and for the next eight days, we can gain a plenary indulgence each of those days (during the octave of All Saints). 

A plenary (full) indulgence, which is applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the Christian faithful who devoutly visit a church or an oratory on All Souls’ Day. The requirements for obtaining a Plenary Indulgence are: 

• Visit a church and pray for the souls in Purgatory while in the state of grace 
• Say the Our Father and the Creed during the visit to the church (this is accomplished in the liturgy if your visit is during Mass; outside of Mass, offer these on your own) 
• Pray for the Pope’s intentions (an Our Father, or Hail Mary, or any other appropriate prayer is sufficient) 
• Worthily receive Holy Communion (on the day itself or soon thereafter) 
• Make a sacramental confession within 20 days of All Souls’ Day, either before or after 
• For a plenary indulgence, be free from all attachment to sin, even venial sin (otherwise, the indulgence is partial, not plenary). It is sufficient that the Christian makes an act of the will to love God above all things and to despise all sin. 

In addition, you can gain a plenary indulgence visiting a cemetery or columbarium each day between 1 November and 8 November. These indulgences are applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory. A partial indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, can be obtained whenever saying the “Eternal rest” prayer: “Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.” 

Today, in our first reading we have that beautiful stylized view of heaven. This comes to us as a vision that St. John received. In that vision, there are angels stamping foreheads of people with the seal of God.  And a number is given of 144,000 thousand, representing those saved from every tribe of Israel: 12 times 12,000. And there is a “great multitude which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.  And they stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.”  Of course, the white robe symbolizes purity … being clean, no stain of sin, washed in the blood of the lamb.  Washed by the sacrifice of our Lord on the cross.  And the palm branches are symbol of victory, a symbol of the martyrs who gave their lives for the faith.   

We have this great image painted for us in this vision of the four living creatures, the angels, all the faithful people crying out in loud voices giving praise to God before the throne. Giving praise to our Lord Jesus Christ represented by the Lamb of God. 

And our gathering here at this Mass is just a dim reflection of that great celebration in heaven, but it a participation nonetheless. 

Then St. John is told why they are in heaven: “These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb” (Rev 7:14). 

The saints in heaven have been faithful to Jesus despite all the difficulties of living the Christian life and being a follower of Jesus. That is why they are now given white robes in this vision of John, showing that they have remained faithful to Jesus in all the trials that came upon them. 

It is not just the saints themselves who achieved this victory over trials and temptations during life. It was the grace of God working in them. That is why Paul writes in 1 Cor 15:10, “what I am now I am through the grace of God.” The saints’ lives of faith and endurance were made possible by God working in them and that is why we gather today—to thank God for what he has done in the lives of all the saints of all ages who are now gathered in heaven. It is God’s victory in their lives that we celebrate today; Jesus’ victory over evil on the cross has been reproduced in the lives of these saints and we give thanks to God. 

What we take away from this is that Christ is our King; the lives of all belong to Him; He is truly God and to Him alone belongs Blessing and glory, and wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power and might.”  He alone is the Savior, Redeemer and Lord.  And those saints who stand before the throne of God see Him clearly face to face.  It all points to our future destiny if we are faithful, we will be part of that great throng of people worshiping the Lamb of God for all eternity. 

This imagery inspires the imagination. I would encourage you to use such imagery in your prayer. Use such imagery in your meditation. Use your imagination to pray. 

Imagine your favorite saint who is bowed down in worship before the throne. He or she is there among that vast company of witnesses crying out: “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.” 

Imagine that roar of voices saying those words together. They say them as one voice. 

So you bring your petition to that favorite Saint. You imagine that Saint crying out before the Lamb bringing up your petition. “Lord Jesus, grant her petition. Lord Jesus, grant his petition.” Then you think about all the saints there gathered before the throne, and you bring your petition to them . . . all of them. And they cry out in one voice, “Lord Jesus, grant her petition. Lord Jesus, grant his petition.” 

Then you remember the four living creatures and all the angels are there prostrating themselves before the throne of God crying out: “Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving, honor, power, and might be to our God forever and ever. Amen.” 

So with holy boldness you ask their intercession for that petition. You boldly ask the intercession of the entire nine choirs of angels. And these angels join with the great multitude of souls already interceding for you: “Lord Jesus, grant her petition. Lord Jesus, grant his petition.” Imagine all those voices, voicing your petition before the throne of God. 

Sometimes people wonder: “Why do we pray to the saints sometimes, why not just pray directly to God?” We pray to the saints because they can help us on journey to Jesus. They are now gathered around the throne of God, and they can intercede for us and help us. In an earlier vision in Revelation, John saw golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints (Rev 5:8). And we know that the saints intercede for us and help us because so many people claim to have received favors through praying to a particular saint; and for anyone to be beatified or canonized a major miracle inexplicable by natural means must have taken place. So, praying to the saints is powerful. They are our brothers and sisters from every country and from every generation and they can help us on our path to God. We have one goal in praying to the saints: that through their prayers we may join with them one day in heaven by sharing in God’s victory as they have. We ask them to help us allow Jesus’ victory over evil on the cross to be reproduced in our lives as it has been in theirs. We pray to them that what John saw in his vision in the first reading today may at some future time be true of us also, 

These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb. (Rev 7:14) 

All of this, my brothers and sisters, helps us to remove that veil, and to see with spiritual eyes the deeper vast truths of our faith. In summary, we are reminded, then, that we are not alone. 

Remember, my brothers and sisters, that today, this Solemnity of All Saints, teaches us that we have our older brothers and sisters in Christ who we can call out to in prayer to assist us in any need. And, also, they are examples to us; they guide us and remind us of what we are called to be. So, we must never give up; we must not put our ultimate hope in this world … no! we distrust ourselves and put our absolute confidence in God!