Homily All Saints

Example: Fr. Michael McGivney

He is the founder of the Knights of Columbus; he was born on August 12, 1852, in Waterbury, Connecticut, and was the son of Irish immigrants.

He was ordained a priest in 1877, and when he was an assistant pastor at St. Mary’s Parish, He started the Knights as a service organization to help widows and orphans. He lived a holy life, dedicated the help others.

Like many people today, Father McGivney suffered the consequences of a pandemic that took his life in 1890. It was a virus like the Covid19 that spread in the world at the end of the 19th Century.

Along History the church always has recognized women or men like Fr. Michael McGivney to show us that it is possible to live a holy life when we follow the call of Our Lord. In a way, the church recognizes in then a true presence of Jesus in this world in different times

So, Who are the Saints?

Those men and women who have chosen to be guided by our Lord (Like St. Francis of Assisi)

They lived for God alone, loving him with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength (

Mark 12:30). They served only one master. SCHERRER, S., “The Way of the Saints”, Daily Biblical Sermons, 2012–2013 (2012–2013).

They were born in the midst of challenges, hopes, as we do, Some of them had a nurturing family (like St. Therese of Lisieux), and others didn’t (Like St. Mary of Jesus Crucified )

However, Christ encouraged them in their battles against evil,

The saints have followed Jesus Christ and have wanted to be like him in all his actions and thoughts. (Like Blessed Carlo Acuti)

Some of them became great writers and theologians (like St. Thomas of Aquinas), others decided to preach the gospel in far countries (Like St. Francis Xavier), many founded religious communities (Like St. Teresa of Jesus), communities) others focused their efforts on helping the youth (like St. John Bosco) or the elders (like St. Jeanne Jugan). St Anthony the Padua was a great preacher, St. Kateri Tekakwitha was the first Native American to be recognized as a saint. St Francis Cabrini assisted the immigrants here in Chicago.

Liturgical Year in the CCC November 1: The Solemnity of All Saints

CCC 828, 867, 1173, 2030, 2683-2684: the saints, examples of holiness

Why do we celebrate a feast for them?

First of all, we want to celebrate God's power to be able to change people's lives. For example, from being a person accumulate money into a very generous human being (Like St. Mattew), from a selfishness person to a lovable and kind individual (like St. Francis of Sales), from a hateful person to a forgiving Christian, (Like St Paul), from a sinful person to a holy one (Like St. Augustine). And only God, through his Son Jesus Christ, can transform our lives. So we, too, can thank him for changing us, guiding us, and nurturing us in this life.

Second, we want to ask the intercession for us from those holy men and women. Before the saints were holy, they had to endure in life as we do, they know all the challenges and sometimes difficulties that we face to be better Christians, therefore they are compassionate like God, and they pray for us. The saints have great compassion for our miseries; they know what is to be weak or vulnerable. Like us. They sometimes committed the same faults, and they sustained the same combats. Thus their fraternal tenderness becomes now greater with us, and for this reason, they never cease protecting us and praying for us.

Liturgical Year in the CCC November 1: The Solemnity of All Saints

CCC 956, 2683: the intercession of the saints

CONGREGATION FOR DIVINE WORSHIP, Liturgical Year in the CCC.

That is why we invoke the saints in times of need. St. Toribio Romo is asked to help the immigrants. St Martha for the unemployed, St. Isidore for the farmers, St. Raphael for the travelers, St. Joseph for the food support in our families

What do the word of God invites to reflect on

The first reading is reflecting on a large crowd that stood before the Lamb.

The Lamb is Christ, and they worship him.

That large crowd cannot be counted, says the book of revelation. They represent all the people who have lived in the world and have given their lives to Jesus Christ.

They represent the saints who are so many that are impossible to count because the saints are not only the once the church has announced to be saints, but those whose lives have been a real presence of Jesus here on earth that are now in his presence.

Those people were able to give love, peace, hope, and service to transmit the mercy of God (Like St. Mother Theresa of Calcuta)

The second Reading

1 John 3:1 NABRE

See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

We are children of God; therefore we should be confident that He is guiding our lives. He knows every single thought, every fall, every success, every challenge, every joy of our lives.

New American Bible: Revised Edition Chapter 3

2 Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is

What a great promise that each one of us has received. To be able to reveal Jesus in everything we do. Therefore, let us then be confident that by coming to this Mass, by praying, by making sacrifices, we are on the path to be closer to God and day by day that we make an effort to be holy, he also reveals his love to us

The Gospel

How then can we be holy? The answer lies in the beatitudes

The Navarre Bible: New Testament The Beatitudes (5:1–12)

The Beatitudes proclaim how to be fortunate, blessed. In this sense, they are at the heart of human desires, for “we all want to be happy. No one in the whole human race would deny that he wants to be happy, even if he is not sure what to be happy means” (St Augustine, De moribus ecclesiae, 1, 3, 4).

Some beatitudes are easy to understand like blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called children of God. Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.

But how to understand, for instance the beatitude of blessed are those who are persecuted, or blessed are those mourn

The Navarre Bible: New Testament The Beatitudes (5:1–12)

they are the paradoxical promises that sustain hope in the midst of tribulations

It all depends on which lens we see the beatitudes. Certainly, from the eyes of the proud, it seems contrary to live a life of humility or clean of heart. However, in the eyes of all of us who want to be closer to Jesus, it is possible to understand that when you mourn, you recognize the fragility of this life through many sufferings and have a heart that can see the sufferings of others. Blessed you, then when you extend your hand to help out others, that is what the saints did.

Conclusion

The holiness is for all. We all are called to be holy. The little flower, Saint Therese of Lisieux, says: “If you feel the called to be saint within your heart is it because it is possible to be. Only God put in our hearts things that are possible”.

So if you want to be a good mother, dedicated to your children, compassionate, and with the strength to love them, keep in mind that God is giving you not only that desire but also his assistance to be a good mother.

If you want to be a good father, it is because God is telling you that it is possible to be a father dedicated to your children, able to listen to them and be patient with them.

Remember, God is always on your side. You need only to pray and ask the Saints intercession to help you toward the path of holiness in your life. .

Collect Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate in one celebration the merits of all the Saints, bestow on us, we pray, through their prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we earnestly long[1

Liturgical Year in the CCC November 1: The Solemnity of All Saints

CCC 61, 946-962, 1090, 1137-1139, 1370: the Church, a communion of saints