The Sunday Sermon Archive

Dear Friends in Christ,

Today we honor all the Saints in Heaven. This includes those unknown to us here on earth and those officially canonized by Our Holy Mother Church. These Saints in Heaven are also known as "The Church Triumphant." We here on earth, still struggling and fighting the good fight as Saint Paul describes, are known as "The Church Militant." The Poor Souls in Purgatory bear the title of "The Church Suffering."

Contrary to so many false accusations, Catholics do not worship the Saints. We honor and venerate God's chosen people who are now united with Him in Heaven. As "The Church Militant" struggles here on earth, we often call upon "The Church Triumphant" to intercede on our behalf before the Throne of God. They are dear to God, and He is more inclined to hear the petitions of the unspotted souls of the saints than to the often-selfish petitions of our unworthy souls.

It is not uncommon to ask others to pray for us. We still find this frequently and naturally in our world today. The prayers of others for us may be less sullied by our sins and imperfections and therefore more acceptable to God. The prayers of the Saints in Heaven are completely unsullied by sins and imperfections and are most acceptable to Him. They could never have attained their place in Heaven otherwise — "nothing stained shall enter the Kingdom of Heaven."

It pleases us to have their help. It pleases Saints in Heaven to help us. It pleases God to see our mutual love and cooperation — fulfilling the second of the two Great Commandments — to love one another.

When one part of our body experiences pleasure, the entire body experiences it. The same is true in the Mystical Body of Jesus Christ — The Catholic Church. The joy and happiness of the Saints in Heaven are our joy and happiness as well.

The Saints in Heaven do not need our help or our prayers, but we need theirs — or at least we should greatly desire their prayers for us. It is only just that we praise them and honor them in return. God honors them and loves them — we should as well.

Today's Gospel reading (Matt. 5:1-12) is Jesus expounding the Eight Beatitudes. As we recall these virtues, we admire the saints' success in Heaven, because they have truly lived the labors that merited their eternal happiness. We look to their lives here on earth as examples to follow, and we ask for their help in our prayers.

The beatitudes are not simply a list of do's and don'ts like the commandments. They are spiritual directives that describe work and reward. We might divide them and examine each individually, as if there were a particular beatitude for each of us or a specific beatitude for a specific circumstance in our lives; however, they are a complete whole. Our goal should be to incorporate them all into our lives at all times. As we accumulate them one after another, we gradually reach the perfection necessary for our eternal happiness.

We must not see these beatitudes in a worldly or material light but rather in a spiritual light. "Blessed are the poor in spirit" is not about material poverty — though this is a true blessing — but is rather about humility as opposed to pride. The proud are high and mighty in spirit — they are "rich" in their self-evaluation. The humble are poor in spirit and think little of themselves. This first of the beatitudes is the first and perhaps the most important step that we must make in the spiritual life if we are to reach the goal of Heaven.

The reward or blessing for being poor in spirit is the "Kingdom of Heaven." The reward or blessing for the eighth beatitude is the same. "Blessed are they that suffer persecution for justice's sake; for theirs is the kingdom of heaven." All the other beatitudes are encased or encircled by these two. We begin and end with the same promised reward. This octave, with the beginning and end the same, reminds us of the seven days of the week — God created in six days, then rested on the seventh- as well as the Seven Sacraments.

We are given these days of our lives to practice the beatitudes; we are given the sacraments to aid or assist us in the accomplishment of them. In spiritual life, we find that accomplishing them brings us back to the beginning. After advancing in the virtues, we return to find that we still have more to do in the first virtue.

The saints have successfully traversed this journey. We should rejoice with them in their success. We should strive to imitate them and obtain for ourselves the reward that they have merited. They are to be our heroes, mentors, and inspiration. We should earnestly pray to them for their intercession in obtaining graces for us in all our spiritual and even physical needs and wants.

May the Immaculate Heart of Mary inspire, guide, and protect us.

email: father@friarsminor.org Franciscan Benefactor Seraph Subscription Vocations Have you remembered God?

Would you like to make a donation?

Or, just log onto PayPal.com, after signing in you can send your donation to us at: Friars@friarsminor.org .

Blog with audio downloads

Return to Menu.

Return to Homepage.