Homily of Wednesday of the 30th week in ordinary time. “All Saints Day”. Reflection on the theme: Living Heavenward” by Fr Oluwafemi Victor Orilua CSSp
Today’s celebration brings close to us the church’s belief in the communion of saints. In Roman 14:8, St Paul said, “if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord; so then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be the Lord both of the dead and of the living.”
The Three Churches
We believe in the militant church, the suffering church, and the church triumphant. We are the militant church, those on earth who are still fighting for their salvation with fear and trembling. The suffering church are those in purgatory, awaiting cleansing to be fit for the glory of heaven. The church triumphant are those who have fought the good fight of faith and now in heaven. They are the ones we celebrate today. And we believe in their intercession.
Simply put, there are some individuals who have visibly lived the Christian life in a manner worthy of imitation. The church in her wisdom canonizes them and assigned special days for their celebrations. This helps us to reflect on their outcome of their lives, so that we may imitate their faith. This is part of the reasons why the church of Christ continues to grow. It is built on the faith of the apostles and those saints who have lived exemplary life.
All Saints: Living Heavenward
However, on All Saint’s Day, the church recognizes those countless individuals who have lived Godly life while on earth but are not specifically known. We believe that heaven is replete people who history we do not know, but God knows them. God has the scripts of all of us. His judgement is final.
As we continue to believe in the glory of heaven, let us keep our hope alive and live the faith. Living heavenward, it is imperative that we strive to lead life worthy of our Christian calling. Only in God can our souls find true peace. May our earthly lives guide us on the path to our heavenly home. Amen.
