31st Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

 Solemnity of All Saints (ABC)

November 1, 2020

Readings:

First Reading: Revelation 7: 2-4, 9-14

Psalm 24 “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.”

Second Reading: 1 John 3: 1-3

Gospel reading according to Matthew 5: 1-12a

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Homily:

Jesus, as a true Shepherd of his flock, saw the conditions of his sheep. In his fold, there were poor, some were mourning, others were meek, and many were hungry and thirsty, but some were merciful, others were clean of hearts, and others were peacemakers. The scene was like a collage or collection of different faces and circumstances and disorder of different walks of life.  They followed Jesus for in him they found their hope, their liberation from poverty and grip of the Roman Empire.  Jesus saw them clearly after he went up on the mountain (or a knoll) as sheep without shepherds (for their shepherds were living a luxurious and wealthy lifestyle under the protection of their cohorts, the Romans).  “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.  He began to teach them, saying: (Matthew 5: 1-2).  Afterward, he sat down and his disciples came to him and he began to teach them.  The disciples were expecting something from Jesus.  They would like to hear from him what was his plan, what he wanted to do with the present conditions of his people and his country.  But he said another thing. 

He said, ‵Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.′ (Matthew 5: 3).  He said the poor are blessed not because they were poor and better to remain poor, but because the Kingdom of heaven is theirs.  He saw in the poverty of the people the dependence and trust and confidence, of those who have nothing but only the Lord God.  They have nowhere to turn to except in the loving and merciful God.  They easily followed God for they have less to travel.

He said, ‵Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted.′ (Matthew 5: 4).  Those who are mourning, maybe because they lost their loved ones or someone in their family whom they depended upon, either one or more members of their families and their relatives were murdered by the soldiers, they had lost their properties, etc. and many other reasons for their mourning.  They are blessed not because they were mourning but because they will be comforted beyond their losses.  Even God lost a Son when he sent him here on earth to fulfill what he promised long, long time ago, (but without mourning), to show his love to his creatures, to us.

He said, ‵Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.′ (Matthew 5: 5).  Those who do not provoke any fight, or quarrel, who do not fight back, those who are humble, timid, submissive, gentle, docile, modest, compliant, and mild to their neighbors and to God.  They are blessed not because they are meek and humble and timid, etc., but because they will inherit the land.  The land given to them but denied to them.  But because of their patience endurance they will receive what they were longing for.

He said, ‵Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.′ (Matthew 5: 6).  Many who followed Jesus were hungry and thirsty in different persuasion, either hunger for physical or material food and thirsty of water, or justice and peace, of integrity of creation, hunger for love, understanding and forgiveness, or pardon, hunger and thirst for something relevant to them like money, recognition, power and authority but they were denied to them, even hunger for righteousness sake and more. They are blessed not because they are hungry and thirst for righteousness, but they are blessed because they will satisfy their hunger and thirst. While they were suffering from hunger and thirst for virtues, justice, decency, uprightness, rectitude sake, in due time they will experience satisfaction.  

He said, ‵Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.′ (Matthew 5: 7).  There are those who are merciful to their neighbors, even to their enemies and friends, to those who need mercy.  Despite their conditions in life, those who aggravated, provoked and heightened the situation, for example letting them to commit sins, gossip, give wrong accusation, etc., they are ready to give pardon and forgiveness and mercy and compassion.  Therefore, those merciful, they are blessed not because they are merciful, but because they will be shown mercy of the most merciful and loving and compassionate God

He said, ‵Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.′ (Matthew 5: 8).  Some of those present in the crowds were clean of heart.  They have had a clean intention in following Jesus Christ.  They really wanted to hear or listen to the “voice” of God present in the words and teachings of Jesus the Christ.  They were also blessed not because their hearts are clean but because they shall see God face to face.  

He said, ‵Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.′ (Matthew 5: 9).  Also many in the crowds are peacemakers.  What they wanted was peace of heart, mind, body and soul, of their community and in society that was why they were following Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.  Also they are blessed not because they were peacemakers, but because they will be called children of God.  The children of God are those who love peace, justice and integrity of creation.

He said, ‵Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.′ (Matthew 5: 10).  Those who do right, living virtues lives, even moral living, just, decent and uprightness, honest and blameless lives, and do not judge others whose lives are full of filth, immorality, sinning in the eyes of their neighbors and God.  While others saw these upright people as hypocrites, showy, “pakitang-tao” or plastic, wearing masks to deceive others and many false accusations and so they were persecuted.  Nevertheless, in spite of many wrong accusations and up to receiving persecutions, they remained upright and righteous.  Therefore, they are blessed not because they were persecuted for the sake of righteousness, but because theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

He said, ‵Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.′ (Matthew 5: 11-12).  Those who believed in Jesus Christ and followed his commands and teachings despite them were lampoon, laughed at, and even insulted and persecuted and uttered every kind of evil but remained steadfast and firm in their resolve to obey Jesus.  Still many people do not believe in Jesus Christ or do not know him because of their ignorance and stubbornness of hearts or because they belonged to other religions who do not have ecumenical or inter-religious dialogue programs in their houses of worship.  So they became mad when they heard the Christians talking about Jesus′s life and ministry, his passion, death and resurrection; so they hated and have grudges against those who believe in Jesus but still they continued believing, loving and worshipping Jesus, and because of these they are blessed not because they were insulted and persecuted and uttered every kind of evil against us falsely because of Jesus but because our reward in heaven is great.

These beatitudes are our guides or sign posts that will lead us to have a perfect life in Jesus Christ.  They are tools we can use to have harmonious relationships with our neighbors and to God.  They are also our tools on how to live happy and blessed life in spite of poverty, mourning, meekness, hunger and thirst for righteousness, merciful and clean of hearts, peacemakers, and being persecuted for the sake of righteousness and even insulted and persecuted because of Jesus Christ, our model in perfection of life, so that we may become heirs of the Kingdom of heaven, will be comforted, will inherit the land, will be satisfied, will be shown mercy, will see God, will be called children of God, and our reward will be great in heaven.