Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew 5,1-12a

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:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
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.”

All Saints

1) Crowds. Mother Teresa of Calcutta used to say, “Let no one ever come to you without leaving better and happier.” I believe that’s where our path to holiness lies. It’s not about being perfectionists who never sin; it’s about helping other people’s lives and leaving footprints showing that Christ loves them. So today, we honor all those people who made our lives a little happier and are now with God, interceding for us. That is what we celebrate today.

2) The Blessed. There’s a very famous phrase from the Roman world, carpe diem, which the Romans translated as “seize the day.” Therefore, today’s the time to look for the best in yourself and give the best of yourself to others. Take advantage of today to discover God’s will in your life and in your day. Learn from the saints, who teach us that they gave everything they had for Who they loved and for their convictions.

3) Only for today. The Church’s holiness and human wisdom are expressed very clearly in what is called “The daily decalogue of Pope John XXIII”. So, I’d like to close today’s reflection with this text that helped me a great deal at a certain point in my life:

1. Only for today, I will seek to live the livelong day positively without wishing to solve the problems of my life all at once.

2. Only for today, I will not raise my voice; I will be courteous in my behavior; I will not criticize anyone; I will not claim to improve or to discipline anyone except myself.

3. Only for today, I will be happy in the certainty that I was created to be happy, not only in the other world but also in this one.

4. Only for today, I will adapt to circumstances, without requiring all circumstances to be adapted to my own wishes.

5. Only for today, I will devote 10 minutes of my time to some good reading, remembering that just as food is necessary to the life of the body, so good reading is necessary to the life of the soul.

6. Only for today, I will do a good deed and not tell anyone about it.

7. Only for today, I will do at least one thing I do not like doing; and if my feelings get hurt, I will make sure that no one notices.

8) Only for today, I will make a plan for myself: I may not follow it to the letter, but I will write it. And I will be on guard against two evils: hastiness and indecision.

9) Only for today, I will firmly believe, despite appearances, that the good Providence of God cares for me as as no one else who exists in this world.

10) Only for today, I will have no fears. In particular, I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful and to believe in goodness. 

Remember that something good is on the way!  

God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.