Reflection for Tuesday,  31st Week of Ordinary Time Solemnity of all Saints 

By

Fr. Aloysius Santiago sdb
Director, Social Action Movement, Don Bosco Bidar


Today's WORD of GOD 

 Matthew 5: 1-12a 

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them.

The Beatitudes

He said:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn,

    for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek,

    for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,

    for they will be filled. 

 Blessed are the merciful, 

    for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart,

    for they will see God. *Blessed are the peacemakers,

    for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,

    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 

 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 

Today's Reflection 

Who are All This Glorious Band?

A Veil of Mystery Hides what Lies in Store for Human Beings Beyond This Mortal Life Here & Now. 

Saint Paul Recognises This Fact when He Says that “No Eye has Seen, No Ear has Heard Nor has It Entered the Human heart to Imagine what GOD has Prepared for Those who Love HIM.” 

[1 Cor 2: 9]. 

Still, the Holy Scriptures Provide a Wealth of Hopeful Images to Give a Foretaste of what Lies in Store Beyond This World, for Those who Love GOD. 

Those in Heaven are No Plaster Saints, No Gloomy Killjoys, but a Glorious Band of Decent People who Lived with such Love, They Went Straight Back to the GOD They Loved so Well. 

JESUS has Told how 2b Good People. HE Shows Us how 2b the Best People We can be. 

JESUS Practised what HE Preached. 

In HIS Own Person HE was the Beatitudes. Living Them Day After Day Made HIM the thoroughly Good Person HE Was. 

Today’s Feast is Not about the Canonised Saints but about All the Good & Holy People who have ever Lived. None of Us, I Feel Sure, is Expecting 2b a Canonised Saint. 

In Its Document on the CHURCH, the 2nd Vatican Council Wrote a Chapter Called The Universal Call to Holiness. 

It is Reminding Us that JESUS CHRIST Can & Will Empower Us to Practise what HE Preached & to Live what We Believe! 

Who is a Saint?

Many of Us Have Weird Notions of what a Saint Looks Like.

Is It Really True that the Saints 

 Never Broke the Rules (St Aug.ine?), 

Never Experienced the Dark Night of the Soul (The Little Flower?), 

 Never had a Sense of Humour? (‘GOD Save Us from Sullen Saints’ — St Teresa of Avila), 

Never Broke into a Great Smile? 

The Answer is, ‘of Course It is Not True.’ The Saints were Fully Human. They Struggled with Temptation; They Savoured Life’s Joy. 

On All Saint’s Day I Think of All the Good People who Have Crossed My Path & Enriched My Life — Parents, Class Mates, Parishioners Here in the Parish. They were Not Perfect, but They were in Their Own Way Great Human Beings.

Each Person is Already Implanted with the SPIRIT & the Grace of GOD. 

The Main Thing that can Prevent Us from Living by the Power of GOD'S Grace is Not Being Aware that We Have IT. We are Called Children of GOD, Not Just in the After-Life, but Now, at This Very Moment & All Through Our Lives.


Good Morning 

Have a blessed day 

Happy All Saints Day to U

GOD Bless U