On this Feast of All Saints, we celebrate all those who lived according to the Good News of Jesus, by the upside down world of the Beatitudes, which we hear in today’s Gospel, and which can be summed up as follows: the world puts the rich in first place-Jesus put the poor on top of the world. The world tells us to seek happiness at all costs-Jesus saw happiness in mourning. The world values power over others – Jesus praised the meek. The world encourages self-fulfilment – Jesus tells us to work for justice. The world says that the merciless succeed-Jesus proclaimed the merciful as blessed. The world announces, “Go for gold”. Jesus taught us to keep our hearts pure. The world honours winners of wars – Jesus celebrated peacemakers. The world sees the persecuted as losers – Jesus declared them the winners.
These Beatitudes call for a very special relationship of love for God, and for the people around us. They involve building up the world we live in, helping to make it a place of truth, love, compassion, justice, freedom and peace – all the qualities our Saints are made of.