All Saints
Know Your Saints

The Gospel for today’s feast is always Matthew’s account of the Beatitudes. At first they seem to favor the meek, the humble, the merciful. But then Jesus ends with some tough ones, aimed at those who are persecuted, insulted, and slandered. While it may sound negative, Jesus is actually giving us encouragement. We should expect to be treated harshly by unbelievers. In fact, some Christians would say that if you haven’t made any enemies, you might not be a true disciple. So how do all those meek, humble, and merciful folks make enemies?
Jesus isn’t telling us to make enemies, but not to be afraid if we do. An important part of our faith is the imperative to spread it. Some people do that by sharing their faith during their lunch break. Others teach formation classes to prospective Christians. Some try to bring Christian values into the legal system by advocating for the rights of the poor, the unborn, or immigrants. Some become missionaries in countries that disapprove of Christianity.
So there are many ways to spread the faith, and many types of saints who are celebrated today. Some were rejected by their families, some by their friends, and others by local government or even religious leaders. Some even gave their lives for their faith. That’s what the first reading means by “washed . . . in the blood of the Lamb” (Revelation 7:14).
Maybe today would be a good day to learn about your favorite saint. What made her special? How did he spread the faith? What persecution did they suffer? Perhaps you could talk about the saints with your children. What saint shares a name with your child? As St. John says in the second reading, we are all God’s children (1 John 3:2). The world that did not know Jesus does not know us. As we get to know our favorite saints, their lives can inspire us to face persecution or ridicule for our faith—or at least give us the courage to talk about our faith, and maybe change someone else’s life.
Tom Schmidt

Short Version

The Gospel for today’s feast is always Matthew’s account of the Beatitudes. At first they seem to favor the meek, the humble, the merciful. But then Jesus ends with some tough ones, aimed at those who are persecuted, insulted, and slandered.  While it may sound negative, Jesus is actually giving us encouragement.
Jesus isn’t telling us to make enemies, but not to be afraid if we do. An important part of our faith is the imperative to spread it. Some people do that by sharing their faith during their lunch break. Others teach formation classes to prospective Christians. So there are many ways to spread the faith,  and many types of saints who are celebrated today.
Maybe today would be a good day to learn about your favorite saint. What made her special? How did he spread the faith? What persecution did they suffer? Perhaps you could talk about the saints with your children. What saint shares a name with your child? As St. John says in the second reading, we are all God’s children (1 John 3:2). As we get to know our favorite saints, their lives can inspire us to face persecution or ridicule for our faith—or at least the courage to talk about our faith, and maybe change someone else’s life.
Tom Schmidt