Apocalypse 7:2-4, 9-14 / 1 John 3:1-3 / Matthew 5:1-12
To wear white colour clothing, we need to be careful, and it can be challenging.
Because it is white, then any little stain or dirt is immediately visible.
In contrast, stains or dirt on a dark coloured garment would not be that visible obvious.
In a wedding, the bride would traditionally wear a white wedding gown.
We can imagine how much care has to be taken to keep that wedding gown white and clean.
Also in Church, the most basic liturgical garment is the alb, which must be white.
It follows the biblical tradition, especially in the Old Testament, where priests wear a clean white linen garment in performing worship services.
Also at Baptism, the newly baptized will be clothed in a white baptismal garment.
It is to symbolize the purity and holiness of the new life that the newly baptized has put on in Jesus Christ.
So, white colored garments is a symbol of purity and also holiness.
It also symbolizes a belonging to God.
It is an outward sign of an inward grace and blessing.
But to keep a white garment clean and spotless is indeed very difficult.
Because the evil one would go all out to make us stain and soil our garment of purity and holiness.
It is by our own sin that we will stain and soil our garment of purity and holiness.
And we might also get used to a garment of that is stained and dirty, forgetting that we are called to be pure and holy.
Today's feast of All Saints reminds us of our Christian identity and of our garment of purity and holiness.
The Saints in heaven have gone through the difficult journey of keeping the garment of their Christian identity pure and holy.
The devil had tempted them and tried to make them take off and discard their garment of their Christian identity.
For example, St. Peter denied Jesus three times, but he repented and his garment became clean enough to be the first Pope of the Church.
St. Paul was violently persecuting Christians, but on the road to Damascus, he fell off the horse and heard the Lord's voice.
He took off the garment of persecution and put on the garment of salvation, and went on to become the Apostle to the Gentiles.
St. Augustine of Hippo, who lived during the 5th century, wore a garment of sin and immorality, but by the prayers of his mother, St. Monica, he put on the garment of Christianity and led people to Christ.
But these Saints had to keep the garment of their Christian identity pure and holy by resisting temptation and sin.
And they relied on the grace and blessing of Jesus Christ to remain faithful.
Today's Gospel tells us the blessings that the Lord Jesus wants to bestow on us.
To believe in those blessings is to be happy, and to be happy is to be holy.
But the world would not want to believe in those heavenly blessings.
We believe in God's providence, and hence we being poor in spirit is our faith, but the world looks up to those who have plenty.
In the eyes of the world, to be gentle and humble would mean being weak and being trampled upon.
For the world, might is right. There is no place for the merciful and those who work for peace.
And the lure of desires and luxuries often tempts us to give in to sin and immorality.
On the garments of the Saints are their blood, sweat, and tears.
They have fought the good fight and finished the race and kept the faith.
The first reading tells us that their garments are washed by the blood of the Lamb and become white again.
We also have our sweat and tears on our garments. But let us listen to this reflection often accredited to St. Mother Teresa, and it goes like this:
People are often unreasonable,
illogical, and self-centred.
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind,
people may accuse you of selfish ulterior motives.
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful,
you will win some false friends and some true enemies.
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and frank,
people may cheat you.
Be honest and frank anyway.
What you spend years building,
someone could destroy overnight.
Build anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness,
they may be jealous.
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today,
people will often forget tomorrow.
Do good anyway.
Give the world the best you have,
and it may never be enough.
Give the best you've got anyway.
You see, in the final analysis
it is between you and God ;
it was never between you and them anyway.
So, we follow the Saints to keep our garments pure and holy by being faithful to Jesus Chirst.
And we look forward with hope to the prayers of the Saints, and to join them in heaven when our garments are washed by the blood of the Lamb and become clean and white again.