Father Gioele: Sermon for the Feast of All Saints

Today, we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, the feast of all those who live life eternal in the Kingdom of Heaven. The readings explain to us the meaning of the feast.

The first reading, from the Book of Revelation, gives us a "picture" of all the worshippers of God: firstly those from the tribes of the people of Israel, as Paul the Apostle says in his epistle to the Romans (2:10): "Glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek". After them are mentioned those of a great multitude from all the nations: those who have washed their robes in the blood of Christ and made them white. In Jesus, in his death on the Cross, we have indeed received the forgiveness of sins: "Wash me and I shall be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51:9).

However, the feast is not only for special people but rather we too are children of God (the second reading from the First Epistle of John). We too possess the hope of eternal life. We too have the privilege of calling God our "Father" and of experiencing that He is indeed a tender and merciful God, who loves us as his beloved children.

Jesus taught us how to live this reality in the Gospel (the reading from the Gospel according to Matthew). Our deeds are not the main issue but rather our becoming new persons, persons like Christ, in his image and likeness. It is indeed difficult to live like he lived and to live what is described in the reading from the Gospel but everything is possible for God (cf. Mark 10:27). The sermon of Jesus on the mount tells us that we must live as saints, to be people of the beatitudes, and that all of this is a gift of God. We have the choice to either accept this or refuse it (Deuteronomy 30:19).