All Saints Day Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. On this day we especially ask the intercession of all the saints of Heaven in order that they may pray for us in order that we may run the race to Everlasting Life. This is the race that they have already ran and been found victorious. They now share in the beatific vision and are able to pray for us in such a special way.

In the Church we have a multitude of saints who have been revealed to us by God as being in Heaven. There are also those saints whose names go unknown and yet they are now in Heaven with God. These may be members of our families or friends who have now gone before us into Everlasting Life.

The saints show us that Heaven must be our ultimate goal and they show us that Heaven is indeed achievable. So often we trudge through this life acting as if we are not called to something greater. We are called to holiness in our everyday life and we are called to be intentional concerning our salvation.

Once our life on this earth comes to its conclusion we should desire to be numbered among the saints for this means that we are now in Heaven with God. Do we live our life in such a manner? Do we see ourself as a saint or something else? There still time for us to live as saints and so let us commit ourself to God and His grace and the fulness of the sacramental life of the Church. In such manner we indeed will be victorious and numbered among the saints of Heaven.

All the saint in Heaven, pray for us.

All Saints Day Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.

For some the saints may seem to be a foreign entity which is held far away from us. Through this mindset they are kept at a distance and not seen as something that we should strive to be. The saints are not simple legends of individuals which teach us a nice lesson about morality nor are they dead and thus of no assistance to us.

The saints are those who have now been called home to Heaven. There are the saints whose names have been revealed to us by God through the Church and there are those saints now called home to God whose names we do not know. The saints were real individuals who lived a life of sanctity and thus died in the state of grace and were judged as worthy of the Kingdom of Heaven.

Saints serve as intercessors for us. We do not pray to them as if they are God, but ask them to pray to God on our behalf. We must remember that they are now with God in Heaven and thus through the beatific vision to which they have been joined are able to hear our prayers. Unlike those whom we know in this life they are now with God and their prayers are very important.

The saints serve as models of holiness for us. Our culture has lifted up many models for us through music, television, movies, and sports. Through these glimpses we are not always afforded an image of what it means to be a Christian and thus a servant of the Lord. The saints give us such a glimpse for their lives ended up being lived for the Lord. Instead of exalting celebrities we should look towards the saints in order that we may come to model our life in similar fashion.

We too are called to be saints. This means that we are called to strive for the Kingdom of Heaven above all things. The saints are real for if they were not there we be no one in Heaven including us once our time on this earth expires. Through our devotion to these holy men, women, and angels may we persevere in running the race to Heaven. Let us “rejoice and be glad, for (our) reward will be great in heaven.”

All you holy saints of God, pray for us.

All Saints Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.

There are three states which make up the Church: (1) Tomorrow we remember the Church Suffering which is made up of those souls in Purgatory who are need of our prayers, (2) Today we remember the Church Triumphant which is to say all those known and unknown by name who have been welcomed into Heavenly glory, and (3) The Church militant which is each of us here on earth who must strive for Heavenly glory.

We profess in the Apostles’ Creed, “I believe in…the communion of saints.” This statement is made in reference to the saints in Heaven, those in Purgatory, and those here on earth. It is together that we make up the body of Christ. Through this reality we receive the prayers of the saints, we assist those in Purgatory with our prayers, and we journey towards the Kingdom of Heaven by keeping our sight placed upon God.

As is stated in the Book of Hebrews, “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” The saints are now in Heaven for they have won this race, the souls in Purgatory have been judged as worthy of Heaven for they have run this race, and we too must run this race that is now set before us like those saints who have now gone before us into Everlasting Life.

The prayers of the saints are important for each of us here on earth who strive to live good and holy lives. Sadly, there are some who see no importance in the prayers of the saints. They quote 1st Timothy, “There is one God, and one mediator of God and man, the man Christ Jesus.” This verse does not limit our ability to pray for one another nor does it limit the ability of the saints to pray for us. There is one mediator and that is Christ Jesus. All of these prayers are being offered onto Him

From Saint James we are told, “Therefore, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The fervent prayer of a righteous person is very powerful.” What is true of the Blessed Virgin Mary and all the saints is that they have entered into the Beatific Vision. This means that they are now in Heaven with God. None of us are yet in Heaven and so the saints hear our prayers and bring them before God. They are close to Him because of the life that they lived on this earth.

Let us continue to strive for Heaven that we may be numbered among these holy men and women of God who we now venerate. They show us that this path is one which is possible if only we are found willing to open our heart to God and His mercy. Let us each strive to be saints for we have been called to pursue the Kingdom of God above all things.

May all the saints of Heaven, pray for us.

Holy Family Homily

Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Jospeh.

It is important for us to remember the family for the family is central to our society. God took on our human flesh and He dwelt among us. In doing so He chose to enter into a family on this earth. There is no escaping the importance of a family, no matter how much our society might try to redefine, if not eliminate the family from its midst.

Within the Holy Family we discover a love for God which is perfect. Mary and Jospeh were well versed in their faith and knowledge of Scripture. They turned to God in prayer and placed their trust in His will for them no matter how difficult that would be. 

If we think of the modern family the notion of God so often gets pushed off to the side. In the midst of the busyness of everyday life we can never forget God. It is important that families pray together, study the faith together, and attend Holy Mass together. Sadly, the domestic church (the church at home) is something that is missing from many homes.

Within the Holy Family the love between man and woman was found to be perfect. Jospeh respected his bride and he would do anything to protect her. Mary respected her husband and she would do him no harm. Their home was filled with the virtue of love not a so called “love” that has so many restrictions attached to it. Their love is an extension of the love that they had for God. So often our homes might contain a concept of love, but do we truly love as love is meant to be?

When times get difficult, the opportunity for true love begins to form. This is so because in the midst of sacrifice we can let go of what is not important and begin to love freely. Our homes are so often filled with so many distractions caused by our self absorption that causes each member of the family to go off by their self and do their own thing. There is no concept of sacrifice because it is something that is found to be irksome.

The Holy Family lived a life of sacrifice for they lived a life of love. Mary humbly sacrificed everything to God through her yes. Joseph went in haste in order to sacrifice in order that his family would be protected. They would also make sure to offer the sacrifice that was expected of them by the Law. Are willing to allow our family to sacrifice in such a way or would we rather our family be built upon the ways of the world.

May Mary and Jospeh pray for us that all families may be found to be holy and in love with Christ.

All Saints Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints.

All of us are called upon to strive to be saints and to live as such during our time on this earth. The saints have gone before us into life eternal and they have been found worthy of Heaven. Through their entry into Heaven they have entered into the Beatific Vision. They now pray for us in order that we may join with them for all eternity in their perfect worship of God.

The saints show us the many twists and turns that life takes and they always show us that victory is something which is possible. Each saint teaches us a different lesson, but each of them reaches the same reward. Some of them seemingly lived a life of sanctity from the start while others began to pursue God at a much later date. No matter the path that their life had taken the end result was the same in all cases. They lived a life of sanctity, they died in the state of grace, and they are now with God in Heaven.

The saints are not just some characters in a fiction book, but are are real people like you and me. They had their imperfections, but they lived for Christ. They show us that such a path towards sanctity is possible for us if we so desire it. In our modern society we so often are concerned what celebrities are doing. We are more attuned to the ongoing activities of athletes and tv stars then the lives of these holy people who have gone before us. The more that we concern ourself with their lives and take up devotion to them the more we will love God. Devotion to the saints does not end at the saint, but transcends towards God. It is this devotion and love for God which will lead us towards a life a sanctity to where we will be found worthy of Heaven.

Are we concerned with this call to be a saint? What is holding us back from reaching this calling that has been extended to us? Are we willing to cut away what might be holding us back from God or would we rather latch onto it at the peril of our own soul? Let us be sent forth from here to live as saints who desire to share Eternal Life with God for all eternity.

May all the angels and saints of Heaven, pray for us!

All Saints Day Homily

Today we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints Day.

When an ordination Mass takes place, the one being ordained lies prostrate upon the ground. What is chanted as they do so is the Litany of Saints. When called to the bedside of someone who is dying one of the prayers for the dying is the Litany of Saints.

Through the Litany of Saints we are reminded of the vast number of those who are now in Heaven who are praying for us. When one undertakes their priestly ministry they are in need of these prayers. When one is journeying from this life to the life to come one is in need of these prayers. Nevertheless, there are so many who toil about life without giving the saints a thought.

The life of the saints are lives of triumph. They have been called home to the Kingdom of Heaven and have been found worthy of it. They have struggled with the allure of sin, but found Christ and His love for us to be greater. They struggled with sickness and sadness and yet they came to embrace Christ and allowed Him to be their light in the midst of all their struggles. Christ became their joy and there was nothing which could take this joy away from them.

In our society we can say so much concerning actors, musicians, and athletes, but so often fail to be stirred with the same joy when it pertains to the saints. I cannot say where actors, musicians, and athletes lead us, but I can say that the saints always, that is 100% of the time, lead us on a path towards God.

Let us come to foster devotion to the saints within our home and through this devotion may we come to desire to be like them. It should be the goal of every Christian to be a saint. If we are not numbered among the saints we will not inherit the Kingdom of God. We are not called to live a life of mediocrity, but rather a life of greatness- a life of holiness!

May all the angels and saints of Heaven, pray for us.

All Saints Day Homily

The month of November is a very interesting month in the life of the Church. It is during this month that we consider where we are headed in this life. Those realities being our death, our judgement, and hopefully the Kingdom of God.

For this reason the Church gives us special indulgences that we can receive during this month of November. The work that needs to be done is to visit a cemetery to pray for the dead or to even offer an “Our Father” and “Creed” for them here inside of the Church. Normally, these indulgences can only be received during a certain set of days, but due to COVID-19 these indulgences have been extended throughout the whole month of November. In conjunction with the work which is attached one must also make a confession, receive the Eucharist, pray for the intentions of the Holy Father, and be detached from sin.

When was the last time that you have entered into a cemetery in order to pray? Cemeteries serve as a constant reminder of where we are headed in this life and they remind us of the need to pray for the souls of the faithful departed. Sadly, it seems that we want to forget about our own mortality and so easily push off the necessity to pray for the souls of the dead. Tomorrow we come to commemorate All Souls Day where our parish will have a total of five Mass opportunities. One of these opportunities will be at 1:30pm and will take place in the cemetery that is right behind our parish.

Today the Church observes the Solemnity of All Saints which is very much so connected to these realities which should be constantly set before our sight. Those who we venerate today have been called home to Heaven. Some of them have been revealed to the Church by God by their name while so many have not been revealed to us in such a manner. If they are known by name or not what we can say of them is that they have run the race and have been good and faithful servants of the Lord. They have walked this earth and died in service to the Gospel message and have now been called home to God.

Our ultimate goal on this earth is not to be rich in a worldly sense and to amass earthly possessions. Ultimately, we are called to be saints which means that we are called to Heaven. How many of us ever stop and think that we are called to be saints because we are called to Heaven? In our prayer we should mediate on that very question. In doing so we should ask what we must let go of if we are to be saints and be in Heaven. If we are not living the life of a saint nor striving for Heaven then there is only one place for us and I would hope that none of us want to end up there.

On this solemn day on our Church calendar may we fall in love with the saints and desire to live like them. The Church is blessed to have huge calendar of saints who make up the life of the Church. I would urge you and your families to study the lives of these holy men and women and to foster devotion to them. We are so well versed in athletes and celebrities, but so poorly formed in our love and devotion for the saints.

May all the Saints of Heaven pray for us that at the end of our life we may join with them in the Kingdom of Heaven.

All Saints Homily

The Church manifests itself in three realities all held together by one common goal. In the Holy Mass the priest breaks the host into three pieces. These three pieces represent to us the unity of these three realities which make up the Church. 

Firstly, we have the church militant which is made up of each of us here on earth who must strive towards Heaven. Secondly, we have the church suffering who we will pay special attention towards tomorrow. Lastly, we have the church triumphant. The church triumphant is those members of the church who have died and are regarded as enjoying eternal happiness through union with God.

As we come to celebrate this Solemnity of All Saints our focus turns towards this last group. Nevertheless, through the course of time we know that the souls of the faithful departed will become saints. Finally, I hope that we see that we too here on this earth are called to strive to be numbered among the saints.

The saints are those who have been revealed by God to the Church by name, but are also those who have been called home to Heaven that we do not know by name through this revelation from God to the Church. That means that we probably do not have a canonized saint in our family, but that does not mean that a loved one who has gone before us into life eternal has not already reached their Heavenly homeland.

Of those saints who we now know by name we can study their life and see how it leads towards the common goal of union with God. Through the saints we see heroic lives of men, women, the young, the old, rich and poor, single, married, priests, deacons, bishops, popes, but most importantly fallen humans who have overcome sin and death to be called home to Heaven.

We should study the lives of these holy men and women and ask them to pray for us. We study the lives of actors, musicians, politicians, and athletes, but do not flinch an eye at the thought of these holy men and women. We fashion our style and choices after those of these celebrities, but do not allow the saints to form us into true disciples of the Lord who chase after virtue rather then the ways of the world.

Each and every one of us have been invited to be numbered among the saints, but do we desire to be numbered among them? Let us remember that to be a saint is to be in Heaven with God the Father for all eternity. If we are not a saint we have been cast out from Heaven and are in Hell. Surely, none of us want such a horrific demise. 

Therefore, come to emulate the lives of the saints. Foster within your life proper devotion to the saints. Frequent the sacrament of confession and worthily receive our Blessed Lord in Holy Communion. As the church militant we must strive for Heaven. The battle may be difficult at times, but the saints show us that it is possible.

All you Holy Saints of God, pray for us.

All Saints Day Homily

During the “Lamb of God” the priest takes the host into his hands and breaks it in half. He then breaks off a third piece from the host which he places inside of the chalice. These three pieces of the host serve as a reminder of the Church which is made up of three realities. There is the Church purgative whom we will focus upon in a special way on All Soul’s Day, there is the Church triumphant whom we focus upon today as we come to celebrate All Saint’s Day, and there is the Church militant which is made up of each of us here on earth who must now strive for Heaven.

When we think of the Church I think we often fail to think about these three realities and yet they are all so closely bound together. We do a great injustice to the souls of the faithful departed if we fail to pray for them. We do a great injustice to ourself if we go through our life without having devotion to the saints. The saints are now in Heaven, they have been called home to God, and hopefully to this same home we now wish to follow after.

When we attend the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass all of these realities are present with us. We are present within the Church and we are nourished from the Altar of God by the Most Holy Eucharist. The saints of Heaven are present with us as the Sacred Mysteries unfold around us. We also pray for the dead for they too are further purified through the Mass which is offered. For example when a priest offers a Low Mass with nobody else present it is pointed out about the importance of the blessing given at the end of Mass because this blessing extends to the poor souls in Purgatory. Truly whenever we are at the Mass we are joined to these three realities which make up the Church.

Now we must come to understand that God is the just judge. For us who make up the Church militant we must strive for Heaven. We must realize that each of us are called to be saints as the souls in Purgatory have already been found worthy of being saints, but first they must pass through a period of purification. If we realize that we are called to be saints then we should also realize that we must live out our faith and profess it throughout the world. The saints did not just stumble their way into Heaven because if that is all that we are going for it is possible that we will fall short and not be found worthy of our goal. If we know are goal to be Heaven then strive for Heaven. Then participate in the Sacramental life of the Church which means frequenting the Sacrament of Confession and receiving our Blessed Lord in the state of grace.

To think if we reach our goal of Heaven we will be venerated as saints. All Saint’s Day is not exclusive to those saints who we now know by name. All Saint’s Day is for all those in Heaven whose name we now know or whose name we don’t. Nobody here probably has a family member who has been canonized as a saint, though while in Oak Ridge I did have a funeral for a family who was related to Saint Philip Neri (So I guess that anything is possible). Yet their name appearing in a dictionary of saints or not does not mean that they are not in Heaven. All Saint’s Day is a celebration of all the saints who have been called home by God, name known or unknown. Hopefully we will foster devotion to all the saints and come to follow in their footsteps in order that we too may be called home by God.

May all the angels and saints of Heaven intercede for us that we may always elevate our sight upwards towards Heaven and strive to get there by the way in which we order our life to glorify God in all that we do.