Solemnity of All Saints – November 1, 2026

Readings: Revelation 7:2–4, 9–14; 1 John 3:1–3; Matthew 5:1–12a

Why Do We Celebrate All Saints’ Day?

Every year, on November 1, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints.

When we hear the word saint, we usually think of great people such as St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Francis of Assisi, or St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

We admire their holiness, their sacrifices, their faith, and their extraordinary lives.

But today, the Church celebrates something much greater than the lives of a few famous saints.

We celebrate all those who have reached the glory of heaven, including countless holy men and women whose names are unknown to us.

They may have been ordinary parents, grandparents, workers, teachers, or people who quietly lived their faith.

They may never have performed extraordinary miracles or received public recognition.

But through God’s grace, they remained faithful to Him and reached the fullness of eternal life.

Today, we celebrate their victory in Christ.

However, All Saints’ Day is not simply about remembering people who lived before us.

It is also about remembering who we are called to become.

The saints have reached the destination toward which we are still travelling.

Their lives remind us that holiness is not reserved for a few extraordinary people. It is the vocation of every Christian.

The First Reading: A Great Multitude in Heaven

Today’s first reading, from the Book of Revelation, presents a beautiful vision of heaven.

St. John sees a great multitude standing before the throne of God and before the Lamb.

They come from every nation, race, people, and language.

They wear white robes and hold palm branches.

They praise God for the salvation they have received.

This vision reveals something important about the Church.

Heaven is not reserved for people of one nation, culture, or social background.

God calls people from every part of the world to share in His eternal life.

The white robes symbolize their participation in Christ’s victory and the purification they have received through His saving sacrifice.

When John asks who these people are, he is told that they have come through great tribulation and have washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.

Their holiness is not simply the result of their own achievements.

They are holy because they have been redeemed and transformed by Jesus Christ.

This is the foundation of Christian sainthood.

We do not become saints by our own strength alone. We become holy through God’s grace and our cooperation with that grace.

The saints are living witnesses to what God’s grace can accomplish in human lives.

The Communion of Saints: One Church, Three States

All Saints’ Day also reminds us of one of the beautiful teachings of our Catholic faith.

Every Sunday, when we profess the Apostles’ Creed, we say:

“I believe in the communion of saints.”

What does this mean?

The Second Vatican Council, particularly in Lumen Gentium 49–51, explains that the Church exists in three states.

First, there is the Church on earth, often called the Church Militant or Pilgrim Church.

We are its members. We are still travelling through this world, facing temptations, difficulties, and struggles while trying to remain faithful to Christ.

Second, there are those undergoing purification after death, traditionally called the Church Suffering.

These are the faithful departed who are being purified in preparation for the fullness of heavenly glory.

We remember them especially on All Souls’ Day, November 2, and pray for them.

Third, there is the Church in heaven, traditionally called the Church Triumphant.

These are the saints who already enjoy eternal communion with God.

But these are not three separate Churches.

We are one Church, united in Jesus Christ.

Death does not destroy our communion in Christ.

The saints in heaven continue to pray for us. We pray for the faithful departed. And we, who are still on earth, continue our journey toward the same heavenly destination.

This is the beauty of the communion of saints.

When we celebrate All Saints’ Day, we are not remembering strangers from the distant past.

We are celebrating members of our own spiritual family who have already reached their heavenly home.

Their lives encourage us, and their prayers support us.

The Second Reading: We Are God’s Children Now

Today’s second reading gives us another beautiful insight.

St. John says:

“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we shall be has not yet been revealed.”

Notice one important word: now.

John does not say that we will become God’s children only after death.

He says we are God’s children now.

This means that our relationship with God and our journey toward holiness have already begun.

Through Baptism, we have received a new identity as children of God.

We have been called to share in His divine life.

Of course, our holiness is not yet complete. We still struggle with sin, selfishness, weakness, and temptation.

But God’s grace is already working within us.

Our present Christian life is the beginning of the eternal life that will reach its fullness in heaven.

Heaven is our destination, but holiness is our vocation here and now.

We are not called merely to wait until death to become holy.

We are called to live as God’s children today.

The Universal Call to Holiness

This brings us to one of the central teachings of the Second Vatican Council.

In Chapter Five of Lumen Gentium, the Council speaks about the universal call to holiness.

It teaches that every Christian, regardless of their state of life, is called to holiness.

Holiness is not reserved for priests, religious sisters, monks, or missionaries.

A married person is called to holiness.

A parent is called to holiness.

A teacher, a worker, a student, and a retired person are all called to holiness.

Even someone who is sick, elderly, or unable to perform great works can grow in holiness through faith, patience, prayer, and love.

The circumstances of our lives may be different, but our vocation is the same.

We are all called to become saints.

Sometimes we imagine that holiness requires extraordinary miracles, dramatic sacrifices, or a life completely separated from ordinary society.

But holiness often grows through ordinary acts of love.

A mother who patiently cares for her children.

A father who works honestly and provides for his family.

A person who forgives someone who has caused pain.

Someone who visits the sick or helps a lonely neighbour.

A person who struggles with weakness but continues to trust in God’s mercy.

These may appear to be small things.

But when they are done with love and faith, they become part of our journey toward holiness.

Holiness is not only about doing extraordinary things. It is about allowing God’s grace to transform our ordinary lives.

The Beatitudes: The Characteristics of Jesus and His Followers

Now we come to today’s Gospel.

Jesus goes up the mountain and begins to teach His disciples.

He gives them the Beatitudes.

Blessed are the poor in spirit.

Blessed are those who mourn.

Blessed are the meek.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Blessed are the merciful, the pure of heart, and the peacemakers.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness.

Why does the Church choose this Gospel for All Saints’ Day?

Because the Beatitudes describe the way of life that leads to holiness.

But there is something even more beautiful.

The Beatitudes are not simply a list of qualities that Jesus expects from His followers. They are also a description of Jesus Himself.

Jesus is poor in spirit. He lives in complete dependence upon His Father.

Jesus is meek and humble of heart.

Jesus is merciful. He forgives sinners and welcomes those who are rejected.

Jesus is pure of heart. His entire life is directed toward the will of the Father.

Jesus is a peacemaker. Through His death and resurrection, He reconciles humanity with God.

Jesus suffers persecution for righteousness and remains faithful even unto death.

In other words, Jesus does not simply teach the Beatitudes. He lives them.

And He invites His disciples to become like Him.

When we develop mercy, humility, purity of heart, a desire for justice, and a commitment to peace, we gradually become more like Christ.

This is the heart of Christian holiness.

To become a saint is to become more and more like Jesus.

The saints are people who allowed the life and attitudes of Christ to transform their own lives.

The Beatitudes: Holiness Begins Today

There is another important detail in the Beatitudes.

Jesus says:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

Notice that He does not say, “Theirs will be the kingdom of heaven.”

He says, “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

The same present-tense promise appears in the final Beatitude concerning those persecuted for righteousness.

Other Beatitudes contain future promises: they will be comforted, they will inherit the land, they will see God.

This distinction is important.

It reminds us that God’s Kingdom is already present among us through Jesus Christ, although its fullness is still to come.

Christian holiness has the same character.

We are already God’s children, but we have not yet reached the fullness of what we shall become.

We already participate in God’s Kingdom, but we still await its complete fulfilment.

We are already called to live the life of the saints, even while we continue our earthly journey.

Holiness is not something that begins after death. It begins when we allow Christ to transform our lives today.

Whenever we show mercy, forgive others, work for peace, or remain faithful in suffering, we are already living according to the values of God’s Kingdom.

The Beatitudes are not merely promises of happiness in another world.

They are also invitations to live differently in this world.

Saints Are Not People Without Weakness

Sometimes we hesitate to think about becoming saints because we know our own weaknesses.

We remember our mistakes, our sins, and the times we have failed.

We may think, “I am not good enough to become a saint.”

But the lives of many saints remind us that holiness does not require a perfect past.

St. Peter denied Jesus.

St. Paul persecuted the Church.

St. Augustine experienced a long struggle before his conversion.

Yet God’s grace transformed their lives.

They did not become saints because they had never fallen.

They became saints because they responded to God’s grace and continued their journey of conversion.

This does not mean that sin is unimportant or that holiness requires no effort.

Rather, it reminds us that God’s mercy is greater than our weaknesses.

Our failures need not be the final word in our lives. God’s grace can open a new beginning.

Pope Francis, in Gaudete et Exsultate, speaks about the holiness of ordinary people and the “saints next door.”

They are people whose lives may not attract public attention but who faithfully follow Christ through their daily responsibilities.

Perhaps some of the people who taught us to pray, cared for us, or inspired our faith are now among that great multitude in heaven.

Their lives remind us that holiness is possible.

Conclusion: The Saints Show Us Who We Can Become

Dear brothers and sisters,

today’s celebration brings together three beautiful truths.

The first reading shows us the great multitude who have reached heavenly glory.

The second reading reminds us that we are already God’s children and are called to become like Him.

And the Gospel shows us the way: the Beatitudes, which reveal the characteristics of Jesus and the life He desires for His followers.

The Second Vatican Council reminds us that holiness is the vocation of every Christian.

Therefore, All Saints’ Day is not simply a celebration of what God accomplished in the lives of others.

It is also a celebration of what God wants to accomplish in our lives.

The saints have reached their destination.

We are still on the journey.

But we belong to the same Church, share the same faith, and are called to the same holiness.

As we celebrate this Eucharist, let us ask ourselves:

Am I growing in the qualities Jesus describes in the Beatitudes?

Am I becoming more merciful, humble, patient, pure of heart, and willing to work for peace?

Am I allowing God’s grace to transform my ordinary life?

Let us remember:

We are not called merely to admire the saints. We are called to become saints.

And that journey does not begin tomorrow or after death.

It begins here and now.

Amen.