The God of Infinite Love and Mercy

 

Welcome to my blog. Peace be with you.

Today is the feast of All Saints. Though Sunday we celebrate this feast, because it is actually a feast of the Lord. No one can become like God, as the saints in heaven are, except by the grace won for us by Jesus in his life and death on the Cross. Therefore, by celebrating this feast, we celebrate the love, mercy and saving life and death of Jesus.

Go’s generosity is such that he shares himself with those who love him.

 

Sunday 1 November 2020

The God of Infinite Love and Mercy

 

First reading

Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 ·

I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

 

 

Second reading

1 John 3:1-3 ·

We shall be like God because we shall see him as he really is

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

by letting us be called God’s children;

and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

we shall be like him

because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

 

Gospel

Matthew 5:1-12a

How happy are the poor in spirit

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

 

Prayer reflection

Jn the first reading for today taken from the book of Revelation the seer has a vision of heaven.  There are a multitude, to big to count, of those who are saved. “‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’ Once sinners, through repentance and the saving death of Christ they are now  the saints in heaven. This is all the mercy and love of God as John tells us in the second reading. “Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,” we who were nothing have now become the beloved children of God. This is what we are now, John tells us. What we shall be has not yet been revealed.

 

Then he reveals to us one of the most important truths in the Bible. Those who have accepted Jesus and loved him in this live with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind and have struggled to become like him, will become like God. Our destiny is to be like God in every way. What God is by nature, we can become by grace. God’s generosity is such that he is willing to share everything with those who love him.

 

We should keep this ever before our eyes. I am destined to become as God is. Then my growth will be complete.

“Surely everyone who entertains this hope

must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.”

 

The Gospel holds up a picture of Jesus. He is the poor one who lives only for his Father. He is gentle with the weak and repentant sinners. He weeps over the sinful foolishness of humankind. He hungers and thirsts for what is right. He is the face of the merciful God. He is pure of heart, free from the contamination of this world’s pleasures. He is the supreme peacemaker and suffered for the truth.

 

If we wish to become like him so fit for entrance into the Kingdom of God, then we must work to become models of these virtues.

 

But how to do this. There are two supreme ways. One is prayer. Through prayer we receive the ever ready hep of God. The second is the reception of the Holy Eucharist as frequently as possible, but at least once per week. The Holy Eucharist is Christ who is exemplified in the beatitudes of today’s Gospel.

 

To be moulded by Jesus into the perfect image of himself, we need to receive him with faith in his presence, with all the love of our hearts and with a soul free from all grave sin and repentant for all venial sins.

 

Through the miracle of God’s mercy, there is a countless host of saints in heaven. Now is the opportunity for us to join them. Let us not waste our time and energy seeking the pleasures and favours of this world.