All Saints' Day

November 1, 2009

Rev 7, 2-4.9-14
1 Jn 3, 1-3
Mt 5, 1-12

Today, all roads lead to the cemeteries, memorial parks, and columbaria. Visiting our deceased loved ones at their resting place is a century-old Filipino tradition. Every year, I go to Guagua, Pampanga to bless the tombs of my deceased relatives and my late Mom. As you read my reflections today, probably, I am still in Guagua, where my parents came from, blessing almost half of the cemetery, because people, even those whom I have just met, would tell me, “Father, kamag-anak mo rin kami!” They all claim to belong to my Kamag-anak, Inc. I would willingly respond to their requests just the same.

Have you ever wondered why All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day are celebrated one after the other? Or why we also visit our beloved dead on All Saints’ Day, and not only on All Souls’ Day?

The gospel from St. Matthew narrates one of the most famous teachings of Jesus: the Beatitudes. “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn…” For many listeners of Jesus at that time, this teaching is weird and is so difficult to grasp. The teaching on the Beatitudes is full of contradictions and it counters earthly values. But for others, the Beatitudes  give them hope, though they do not fully understand. The teaching gives the needed encouragement to those who mourn, to the meek, the merciful, and the peacemakers.

Incidentally, the second reading from the First Letter of St. John expresses “what love the father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God.” If we relate the gospel of the Beatitudes to this second reading, those who are faithful to Jesus in the midst of persecutions and trials are the true children of God. In so doing, their “reward will be great in heaven.” And St. John says these children shall see God as he is.

The reward for the children of God is best described by St. John in the Book of Revelation. He has this vision of a great multitude standing “before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.” These are the saints, “who have survived the time of distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

Therefore, those who are poor in spirit, those who mourn, who are meek, who hunger and thirst for righteousness, are children of God. And as his children, they will be rewarded before his throne, before the Lamb. These are the saints we would  like to commemorate today, All Saints’ Day.

Now have you wondered why we visit our dead today and tomorrow? Your guess is as good as mine. We believe that our deceased loved ones had also their own goodness and sacrifices for the sake of righteousness. We believe that they too are children of God and we pray that they will be rewarded in heaven just the same with the saints.

Fr. Arlo S. Yap, SVD
CKMS, Quezon City
(The Word in Other Words)