On the Solemnity of All Saints we read in the Apocalypse: "After this, in the vision, there appeared a great multitude, which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and with palm branches in their hands. And they cried out with a loud voice, 'Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb!'" Consoling vision of the saints in heaven, normal men and women who will not have the process of beatification, those of the "next door".
The grandfather; the grandmother; the high school teacher; the baker; the cab driver. The homeless man who slept under the porch; the prudent mountain guide; the magistrate who does justice despite the pressures of the powerful; the businesswoman who climbed a failure because she did not pay bribes. The mother overwhelmed by work at home and with the children, never a day off. The daughter-in-law patient with the mother-in-law; the priest who ended up in jail but was innocent; the politician who had to resign because of the journalistic campaign against him, but had done nothing wrong. The lady who didn't listen to her friends' gossip on park benches, but put a positive spin on speeches. The baker with the exact right beacon and rich cakes. The soccer player who didn't hurt his opponents and applauded them when they played well. The soldiers who dialogued and helped the poor populations and never exploited them, but promoted them. The employee whose days were all the same, but who was happy at home. The journalist who always told the truth. The singer-songwriter who sang the wonder of life and love, and filled people with emotion with his music of sublime beauty. The nun who was smiling and loving even when the day was hard. The one to whom everything went wrong but who offered it to God. The bishop who was truly a father. The confessor who always put you in front of Christ and his love. The husband who loved his wife as she wanted to be loved. The father who at night forgot his tiredness and played with the children. The student who studied and in her free time helped the poor.
All had washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb. They are blessed in heaven because in order to do good they have lived poverty of spirit. They have wept, they have been meek. They have desired justice. They have been merciful. They have been pure of heart, detached from themselves, with the same gaze of God on creatures. They have brought peace around them. They have been persecuted for Christ's sake, and received insults and all manner of evil. Now they rejoice and exult, because they enjoy a great reward in heaven. And we with them. They give us hope.
The homily on the readings of the Solemnity of All Saints
The priest Luis Herrera Campo offers its nanomiliaa small one-minute reflection for these readings.
