Homily for All Saints Day, 2022

 

Homily for All Saints Day

November 1, 2022

You’re In the Bible!

 

            Did you know that you’re in the Bible? Yes, you! Despite the fact that it was written two thousand years ago, YOU might have made an appearance in today’s first reading. St. John is having these beautiful visions of the end of the world, and he sees “a great multitude which no one can count from every tribe and tongue and people and nation” – in other words, he is seeing all of those who are forever rejoicing in Heaven! And if you and I have the privilege of getting there, then St. John could have looked out and seen our faces…and then written about them in the book of Revelation!

            Many scholars believe that there are somewhere around 10,000 officially canonized saints – men and women whom the Church declares are a saint (we don’t have an official count, since the early Church often declared people saints without much research – for example, there is a legend about St. Guinefort, who was a thirteenth-century…greyhound dog, that locals declared a saint after the dog sacrificed its life to save a newborn baby from a viper attack). But above the officially-canonized saints, there are millions upon millions of saints whose names we’ll never know – men and women, boys and girls, just like you and I, whom Christ has won for Himself.

            And so what do we do in Heaven? Sometimes we get a bad impression of Heaven, as if we’re just sitting on clouds and playing harps – that sounds rather dull. Instead, we are surrounded by the most awesome people, all worshipping God. Does that mean an endless Church service? Well, consider: have you ever been to a really awesome concert? Or a sports game in a packed stadium? Everyone there is united in a single purpose, sharing an amazing experience, celebrating the achievements of really talented artists or athletes. No one is bored at a good concert or a good football game – rather, we are passionately cheering and part of something greater than ourselves.

            In the same way, these saints in John’s vision do NOT seem bored – they are singing, processing, and falling down in awe and wonder. In a word, they are worshipping God.

            Worship is the most ennobling thing we can do as human beings. Most of our lives deal with created things – making money, buying food, taking care of our health. But when we worship, we bring our attention to the Creator of these things. We trade the earth for Heaven when we enter into worship – whether it be at Mass, Adoration, or just during our daily prayer.

            So, if we wish to join the saints in Heaven, we do so by practicing worship on earth. How did they get those white robes, which are the necessary ticket into Heaven? Was it their good deeds on earth, their righteousness? No – those robes were washed “in the Blood of the Lamb.” It was Jesus who made them holy, it was Jesus who made them saints. We can’t do it on our own – it’s rather that our intimate union with Him makes us like Him.

            I’m sure we’ve all had the experience of taking on the characteristics of those around us. Maybe we started saying a phrase or doing a TikTok dance because everyone around us was doing it. So we will become holy if we spend time with the Holy One; we will be saints if we spend time with the King of Saints.

            And that description of the saints in the First Reading sounds pretty doggone awesome. That’s one party I don’t want to miss! I hope that St. John had a vision of my face among the souls in Heaven – and I hope to see you there, too!