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Homily – Nov 1, 2024 / All Saints Day ● Revelation 7:2-24, 9-14 ● Psalm 24 ● 1 John 3:1-3 ● Matthew 5:1-12 a ●
[__00-a_] Today is the Solemnity of All Saints. And, this is really a 3 day “devotional” dedicated to remembering the dead: beginning with All Hallows Eve or All Saints Eve = Halloween (October 31) à All Saints’ Day (November 1) à All Souls’ Day (November 2).
At Saturday 5:30 pm Mass tomorrow, we will
read the names of our beloved deceased of the past year for All Souls Day.
November 1 is a day to recall our
communion with all saints, both those we name and do not name.
As an example of being named….
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Who are the top 5 basketball players of all time?
In terms of point scored: “
LeBron James Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
Karl Malone Kobe Bryant Michael Jordan
According to Rolling Stone magazine,
they are:
Aretha
Franklin Whitney Houston Sam Cooke Billie Holiday
Mariah
Carey
Moreover, I should ask you: how do you
feel about the names on this list? Do these individuals appeal to your heart,
to your mind?
You may be compelled by the talents
and gifts of others not named here or not even well known at all.
There are many talented performers who
do not get recognized or renown. Yet, they make contributions in their own way
even if they have neither a household name or a Hall of Fame name.
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November 1 is All Saints Day and in the Catholic devotional and church
calendar, there is what we might consider an “honor roll” or “hall of fame”.
There are major feast days where we
recognize saints: March 19 for Saint Joseph; March 17 for Saint Patrick; May 30
for Saint Joan of Arc; September 5 for Mother Teresa of Calcutta; July 22 for Mary Magdalene.
These and others might be in the
Catholic “top 5”
Mary, Mother of God, would also be in
the top 5.
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In a sermon on All Saints Day, Father Ronald Knox of England asked why
we have All Saints Day, what purpose does it serve?
His perspective was that All Saints
Day reminds of the diversity of talents and gifts and sacrifices made by many
saints.
You and I may also be called upon to
make a diversity and an abundance of sacrifices in our lives.
All Saints Day reminds us not to be
too specialized in our devotions and our expectations of what is Christian
heroic virtue. It comes in many forms and includes but is not limited to:
è Love
thy enemy and pray for those who persecute you (do not love only those who love
you).
è Surrender
not the minimum to God out of love, but the maximum – this will the Gospel on
Sunday November 10, about the widow’s mite who gave all that she had. She is
identified but un-named. She is one of the “All Saints”. November 10 is also a
remembrance and celebration of our parish’s 110th anniversary. Our
parish has been built sustained by holy men and women – some of whom we know by
name, some we do not. We are still called to give all we can to God.
è Purify
our hearts not our appearances.
It would be nice if we could become
basketball stars and gain a high shooting percentage just by memorizing Michael
Jordan’s statistics and wearing his number 23 jersey.
There is value to imitating the great
ones, but that’s not how it’s done. Michael Jordan, e.g.., was known to the
first one at practice, the last to leave the hardest working player on the
team.
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All Saints Day reminds us that there are many ways for us to imitate our
Lord and Savior and to enter heaven one
day.
Access to heaven is different than a
Hall of Fame which is voted on by others and often a popularity contest. No one
elects or vote you or “likes” you into heavenly glory.
Rather, this happens due to our
personal relation to and imitation of of our Savior and to be with him in
Paradise where will be seen and known forever regardless of how celebrated and
decorated – “famous” - we are in this
life.
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