Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?”
I said to him, “My lord, you are the one who knows.”
He said to me, “These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.”
There is dramatic tension in the elder's question and the seer's confusion. He does not know where this "great multitude" came from. What nationality are they? Which ethnic group or tribe? Are they all Catholics? All Americans? All Republicans? They are too many to count, much less sort into different categories.
They are, however, identified as some kind of group by their white robes, their palm branches, and their shout before the heavenly throne. And, they have "survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb.” Finally, with one voice, one mind, and one heart they acclaim, “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.”
In that respect the seer must know them as a congregation of his fellow Christians, for we too pray with one voice, one mind, and one heart. If our gatherings are much smaller, and not half so impressive, we are nonetheless identified with the heavenly throng and we know their heavenly song.
The Catholic Church likes to boast of its "apostolic succession." That is, our bishops enjoy an unbroken lineage of personal contact from Jesus's apostles to this day. The responsibilities of leadership have been ceremonially passed by the "laying on of hands" from one man to the next in an unbroken succession. All of these men were sinners, of course, but the Holy Spirit worked with them and through them to provide trustworthy guidance to the Church. (And some lived exemplary lives and are known as saints.)
There is, however, another unbroken, continuous witness of holy women and men throughout our history, to one generation after another; and they are as important as the apostolic succession of leadership. If not every biological child of every devout parent takes up the cross of discipleship, the community continues to draw other children to the faith, nursing them with sacraments, nourishing them with doctrines, and fostering them with prayer. No one should declare themself a bishop, priest, or lay Catholic without a personal contact with other Catholics.
We celebrate this cloud of personal witnesses today, including many not yet born, on All Saints Day. We wear the white robes of our Baptism and Eucharist, and we come from the Lord.
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I love to write. This blog helps me to meditate on the Word of God, and I hope to make some contribution to our contemplations of God's Mighty Works.
Ordinarily, I write these reflections two or three weeks in advance of their publication. I do not intend to comment on current events.
I understand many people prefer gender-neutral references to "God." I don't disagree with them but find that language impersonal, unappealing and tasteless. When I refer to "God" I think of the One whom Jesus called "Abba" and "Father", and I would not attempt to improve on Jesus' language.
You're welcome to add a thought or raise a question.