Solemnity of All Saints, 2026

 Lectionary: 667

Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure.

All Saints Day,  All Souls Day, and November usher us into the apocalyptic season when we must consider death and judgment, heaven and hell. This is also, not incidentally, the season of elections in America, when the nation make judgments about its judges, legislators, presidents, governors, lesser officials, and laws. As we hope to be judged by God with both mercy and justice when he separates the sheep from the goats, so must we approach the duties of citizenship with neither rancor nor fear, but with justice and mercy. 

"We are God's children now." Saint John assures us. That is a given, a gift; and we need not worry overmuch whether we are deserving or not of the title. We must, however, take it seriously. It is not a gift or privilege to be ignored or dismissed as irrelevant. God's choice of us is irrevocable. He will not; and we cannot cancel, annul, or divorce our covenant with God. Nor would anyone of sound mind and honest heart do that. 

But there is more of God's goodness to come. 

"What we shall later be has not yet been revealed." 

In fact, our fullness in God is beyond our imagination although we have seen it clearly enough in the resurrection of Jesus, the purity of Mary, and the lives of saints and martyrs. Can a caterpillar imagine a butterfly; or a tadpole, a frog? Speculating about the resurrection of the body and eternal life might entertain a quiet evening in a sorority or fraternity house, but adults consider the Promise only as we ask, "How should I reply to this promise? What should I do? And how will I prove myself worthy to receive it?" 

Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,

as he is pure.

Saint Paul's Letters shows us how the Holy Spirit acts like a downpayment of blessings yet to come. He says: 

...we "were sealed with the promised holy Spirit, which is the first installment of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s possession, to the praise of his glory.

Saint Luke's Acts of the Apostles especially, show us how God's people respond to that down payment. Just as anyone who receives an extraordinary sum of money with an assurance of more to come proceeds to invest it wisely, so do we use the gifts of the Holy Spirit to live in this world even as we recognize the resistance, cowardice, and duplicity of our world. Acts shows us the eager, fearless courage of disciples as the Spirit drove them from Jerusalem -- courtesy of Jerusalem's city fathers! -- to all parts of the Earth. Expelled from one city they'd hurry on to the next! 

Everyone who has this hope makes himself pure, as he is pure.

Hope is a power and a resource for us. It is not an idle wish like, “I hope it doesn’t rain tomorrow.” It is a promise like, “I’ll be there tomorrow, rain or shine, come hell or high water. You can count on me!” 

Hope has no time for nonsense, and cannot afford to spend time or energy on idle, wasteful behaviors. The pure of heart are those who know Who sent them, where they come from, where they're going, and what to do -- and not do -- in the meantime. Discipleship is not a nine-to-five responsibility, nor do we work for pay, perks, and pension. We forget neither the promise of redemption nor the threat of damnation; of death and judgment, heaven and hell.  

On this first day of November, as we approach the end of the liturgical year and the advent of a new year, we celebrate the Cloud of Witnesses who surround us with their faith in us and their faith in God. They know what we are going through and we remember what they have endured. We remember the many holy men and women who have inspired us throughout our daily lives. We also remember the inspiration we must give to one another, and especially to the confused, distracted, and anxious among us. 

Today we remember the words of Saint Peter, “Lord, it is good that we are here!” and the question of Saint Paul, “What do you want me to do?”