All saints solemnity 1st November 2023. PART 1

TODAY’S REFLECTION Blessed people, as described in the beatitude, are all around us. They are among our family members and in our neighbourhood. They are not super human beings specially created with special virtues but ordinary, simple persons like you and me. They are part of the huge crowd of humanity on which Jesus looks, sees beyond their predicament and pronounces them blessed. The saints in heaven, whom we honour today, give us evidence that it is possible to spend our lives being faithful to God and charitable towards each other. They model for us Gospel living and dying to self so that one day we can share in the kingdom of God’s everlasting glory. Having lived the beatitudes, which many today think is impossible, they now dwell in the land of inheritance” “the kingdom of heaven” where they “see God” and know the fullness of what it means to be called “blessed”. They beckon us today to heed what Jesus teaches in the Gospel “Blessed are you… your reward will be great in heaven.”