Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3 / Matthew 5:1-12
Today on this feast of All Saints, we turn our eyes to heaven.
Of course God is in heaven, together with the hosts of angels.
And the 1st reading tells us more about who we can see in heaven.
There is a large number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language.
They are dressed in white robes and with palms in their hands, and they shout aloud: Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!
That is not an imagination, but a revelation, and the Feast of All Saints is a celebration of that reality in heaven.
But when we look around at our world, we see an opposite situation.
We see hostility, violence and bloodshed. We see injustice and oppression, we see poverty and persecution. In short we see sin and evil.
But in the face of that dark and bad news, we still want to echo the victory cry of the Saints in heaven.
Yes, even on Earth, we want to shout aloud: Victory to our God, and to the Lamb!
But that is not to be achieved by fighting fire with fire, or returning evil with evil.
Rather the victory can only be achieved by humility and gentleness of heart, by comforting and consoling the poor, the lowly and the oppressed.
Victory to our God is achieved by mercy and forgiveness and by being peacemakers.
And we are supported by the vast company of Saints in heaven, to keep fighting the good fight, to run the race to the finish and keeping the faith.
A glorious reward is awaiting for us in heaven.
God is our victory, the Saints are in our company. Happy are we who believe this reality.