by Rev. Herbert Nichols

Since earliest Christian times believers would gather in the catacombs beneath the ground to celebrate Mass over the tombs of the martyrs. Throughout the centuries the Church has honored the saints by reading or chanting their names during the Eucharistic Prayer; and by commemorating the anniversary of their death on the nearest open date.

As these commemorations began to double and triple overflowing the days of the calendar, the less famous ones became localized and the more prominent kept in the universal calendar. Three centuries after Constantine ended the persecution; the Pantheon a building honoring the pagan gods of Rome in the second century was christened as the Basilica of Mary, Queen of all Martyrs.

In addition a solemnity honoring all saints, famous and anonymous as well, was instituted May 13, 610. About 200 years later Pope Gregory IV transferred this feast to November 1.

The change in date had a practical reason. Since so many pilgrims came to Rome, by moving it from spring to fall more food would be available from the harvests. There was a second reason; November 1 in the pagan calendar was the first day of the New Year. Although Julius Caesar had changed it centuries ago to January as we know it, for pagans "the old ways" would never be forgotten.

The Church’s intention is perfectly clear as we reflect on the apocalyptic message of the first reading. The passage conveys the glory of heaven enjoyed by the illuminati -- children of light, and who rejoice forever in the presence of Jesus the Lamb, in their white baptismal robes, their wedding garments of commitment that we spoke of a few weeks back. The wedding garment or baptismal robe is note merely physical attire, but a spiritual attitude.

In the gospel today Jesus begins his lengthy sermon on the mount with the proclamation of a new way of kingdom living; not with commandments of do’s and don’ts, but with attitudes of being. Perhaps attitudes can best be described with examples. One comes from the legendary fables of Aesop.

"One day a blind man and a lame man were walking down the same bumpy road, each having a very difficult time. The blind man hearing the footsteps of another person asked the lame man for help. He grumbled: ‘How can I help you. I have all I can do to drag myself along this awful road.’ But the blind man answered: ‘If I were to carry you on my shoulders, your eyes could see for me and my legs could walk for you.’ They both agreed that working together they could help each other in their life journey."

Like Aesop’s fable, Christ used many parables to remind us that our life is a journey. Kingdom living — or Attitude being begins with this new self-recognition of our talents and limitations. Each one of us is faced with tensions in our lives. Perhaps we would like to be someone else —someone great with spectacular achievement. God does not want us wasting our time chasing vague hopes and wishes that we could be different.

Holiness is accepting ourselves as we are now. We should not become discouraged if our lives are not totally sinless, if we are not completely holy. Even the Apostles were not instant saints. It takes more than water to make a saint.

Robert Louis Stevens once said: "The saints are not the images in plaster or stained glass, but they are the people who lived in flesh and blood like you and I." They were everyday people who experienced the challenges of their time and never gave up. The Saint is the one who in spite of the challenger and the failures never gave up.

Sometimes we concentrate so much on obligation and duty that we forget about dignity, who we are in relation to God. The scriptures today attempt to convince us that although we do not know what eternal life with God is like, we do know and should remember always what we are now —God’s beloved and redeemed children, all the evidence to the contrary not withstanding.

Realizing our dignity prompts us to behave accordingly, focusing on relationship, rather than obligation. We are reminded today that the destiny in store for us, if we are willing to accept it, is glorious, and many who have gone before us from the famous to the anonymous, to our friends and families, now live in accord with that eternal destiny.