THE FEAST OF ALL SAINTS (NOV. 1ST)

An Icon for All Saints

Fr. Paulinus, Sts. Isadore and Leander Parish, Singapore (Ancient Church of the West)

Apocalypse 7.2-12

Matthew 5.1-12

The Orthodox Church, always anxious for our salvation, exults today (Western-rite) with exceeding joy as she contemplates the glory of her children who, having reached their heavenly abode, are safe for all eternity, forever delivered from the snares of the evil one, and now numbered everlastingly among the elect, the people of God. Like a mother, proud of the triumph of her children, she presents them to the whole Christian world, inviting all the faithful to share her maternal joy: "Let us all rejoice in the Lord, celebrating a feast in honor of all the saints, at whose solemnity the angels rejoice and give praise to the Son of God" (Introit).

The Epistle (Apocalypse 7.2-12) offers us the apocalyptic vision of the glory of the saints: "After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands." Ranks of martyrs, apostles, confessors, and monastics, luminaries who delight unceasingly in the vision of God, adore Him continually and praise Him as they repeat: "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom, Thanksgiving and honor and power and might, Be to our God forever and ever. Amen.”

Who are these glorious saints? Men and women who have lived upon earth as we have, who have known our miseries, our difficulties, our struggles. Some of them we recognize easily, for the Church has raised them to the honors of the Altar, but the great majority are entirely unknown to us. They are humble people who lived obscurely in the accomplishment of duty, without display, without renown, whom no one here below remembers, but whom the heavenly Father looked upon, knew in secret, and, having proved their fidelity, called to His glory. The honorable positions occupied by some in this vast gathering, or the mighty deeds accomplished by others, no longer possess any value of themselves: eternal beatitude is not determined by the great things achieved here below. One thing only endures, for the humble and the great, the poor and the wealthy: the degree of love they had attained, to which corresponds the degree of glory which now renders them eternally happy.

While the Epistle gives us a glimpse of the life of the saints in heavenly glory, the Gospel (Matthew 5.1-12), citing a passage from the beatitudes, unveils the life which was theirs upon earth: "Blessed are the poor in spirit… Blessed are the meek… Blessed are they that mourn… Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after justice… Blessed are the merciful… Blessed are the clean of heart… Blessed are the peacemakers… Blessed are they that suffer persecution." Poverty, humility, detachment from earthly goods; meekness of heart, resignation and patience in sorrow, uprightness, hunger for justice; kindness and understanding toward one's neighbor; purity of mind and heart; peacefulness of spirit and bearer of peace; fortitude and generosity, which, for love of God, embrace every suffering and endure every injustice: such are the characteristics of the life led by the saints on earth, and such must be our program, too, if we wish to attain sanctity as they did. 

We want to become saints, but in the easiest way possible, without effort, without fatigue or violence to ourselves; we should like to practice virtue, but only to a certain point, only when it does not ask for great sacrifice, or go too much against the grain. And so it happens that when faced with acts of virtue which exact greater self-renunciation, or the acceptance of difficult and challenging things, such as quelling the resentments of self-love, renouncing an attempt to make our opinion prevail, submitting ourselves and meekly condescending to one who is opposed to us, very often - if not always - we refuse, thinking it unnecessary to go to such lengths.

Yet our progress in holiness depends precisely upon these acts which we hesitate to make; without them we shall always lead a mediocre life, we shall always remain on the same level, if indeed we do not lose ground. Let us beg the saints whom we honor today to help us overcome our laziness, our lassitude, our cowardice; let us ask those who have gone before us in the arduous way of sanctity to obtain for us the strength to follow them. "If such as these [have attained to sanctity], why not I?" (St. Augustine). God offers us the grace which He gave to the saints; but alas! what is lacking is our correspondence with it.