Homily Cycle A 11/01/2020 – Mass of Remembrance at Our Lady of Perpetual Help, Bethlehem, Pa.
Readings: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/103120.cfm
As we gather this afternoon for our annual Mass of Remembrance, let’s take a moment to reflect on our loved ones, called home “to the land of the living.”
St. Francis de Sales said, “Let God gather from His garden what He has planted, He takes nothing out of season.” One of the crosses we carry here on earth is that we don’t understand God’s Seasons, and loss of a loved one is hard.
In a Funeral Mass our sorrow, our tears, our love and our hope unite in the Eucharist, from which we get the strength to continue. When we gather at our Vigil Service we pray, “My brothers and sisters, we believe that all the ties of friendship and affection which knit us as one throughout our lives do not unravel with death.”
We know and we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth and the light; our way, our truth and our light. Jesus will guide each one of us “through the night and greet us with His light.”
That is our belief!
That is our consolation!
That is our Hope!
And we do not Hope in vain!
Today’s Scriptures remind us that we are called to be saints.
So, you want to be a saint?
Are you sure?
Maybe you don’t really want to be a saint?
If you don’t want to be a saint, why not?
Disciples of Jesus Christ are called to be saints; that’s you and me. Today, November 1, we celebrate, “The Solemnity of All Saints”. The French writer Leon Bloy famously said, “There is only one real sadness in life: not becoming a saint.” [The Magnificat, November 2020, p.20]
In our Psalm we sang and prayed the Lord is my Shepherd. The Lord is our Shepherd, He wraps His arms around us, especially when we are hurting.
Our Gospel today, The Beatitudes starts Chapters 5 of Matthew’s Gospel, and Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8, The Sermon on the Mount give us the Christian blueprint for life. Our translation “Blessed” in the Beatitudes could be more accurately translated “highly esteemed” or “truly honorable”. [John J. Pilch, St. Lewis University Web Site Sunday, Historical Cultural Context, 11/01/2020]
Truly honorable are the poor in spirit, they realize this world is the way to heaven. Jesus said that “… true honor and esteem are determined by God ….” [Ibid.] Today’s Solemnity points to our goal – to be a saint, to be with God forever in heaven. “Truly honorable are the pure of heart for they shall see God”, being pure of heart means responding to Jesus’ call to dedicate our lives, our actions, our sadness and our joy to Him.
During November the Church asks us to remember our deceased sisters and brothers, “…who have fallen asleep in the hope of the resurrection.” [Ordo 2018]
Fr. Ron Rolheiser wrote about the “communion of saints” he said “those who have died still [have] a real relationship with us. He labeled it “Galilee” and said Galilee represented the places in our hearts and in our geography where we learned from our loved ones the goodness God gave them. [“Finding Our Loved Ones After Their Deaths”, 11-21-2014]
This afternoon we remember in a special way our loved ones, who have gone before us, who have shown us Christ’s light. Jesus calls each of us to a saint, the living the Beatitudes is the first step. This week take some time to read Matthew Chapters 5 thru 8 and make them the blueprint for living your life.
Now take a few minutes to reflect on your goal, is it to be a saint?
May God Be Praised!
COVID 19 Pandemic Prayer
Hear my cry! “Lord, listen to my prayer: turn your ear to my appeal.” You are my refuge and my hope, I turn to you during this COVID 19 Pandemic and plead for Your intercession. In Your mercy and Your compassion “… grant eternal rest to the dead, comfort to mourners, healing to the sick ….” [Psalm 143 and Collect from Mass Time in Pandemic]
Provide strength to the first responders, compassion to the medical personnel, and wisdom to government leaders. End this coronavirus scourge. Send Your light to me as I wander in the darkness of this pandemic and give me hope in Your eternal love today and every day. Amen. [Dcn. George Kelly]
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