Hastening to the Heavenly Jerusalem | #1547

Solemnity of All Saints • What are we celebrating today? The Preface for All Saints explains: For for today, by your gift, we celebrate the festival of your city, the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother, where the great array of our brothers and sisters already gives you eternal praise. Towards her we eagerly hasten, as pilgrims advancing by faith, rejoicing in the glory bestowed upon those exalted members of your Church to whom you give us, in our frailty, both strength and good example. And so we glorify you with the multitude of saints and angels, as with one voice of praise, we acclaim... The word Saint is the French word for, "holy." I looked it up in Greek and I found three related words: Hagios means holy, set apart, different. Hagos: awe-inspiring, wonderful, amazing. Hagnos: clean, innocent, modest, perfect. Holiness is not fundamentally the fruit of our hard work. It is a gift from God: gazing at the face of God and being transformed by his love. In the Beatitudes, Jesus gives us a description of his own face. He is poor in spirit, he mourns the disconnection between us and God, he is meek, he hungers and thirsts for righteousness, he is merciful, clean of heart, and a peacemaker. Lastly, Jesus is persecuted. This is what we look like when we become holy in God's likeness. "God, help me to be what you created me to be."  Holiness is not an escape from this world. It is living fully in the world according to the true destiny and purpose of this world.  As pilgrims let us hasten towards our heavenly homeland to join the saints, receiving from them both strength and good example. (1 Nov 2025) Going Deeper: What deceased holy person, canonized or not, gives you both strength and good example? Ceiling Fresco Secco painting The heavenly Jerusalem at St. Blasii Cathedral Interior - Braunschweig, Germany | Over 14 years of homily episodes available at PilgrimPriest.us/podcast | Like, subscribe, and share us with your enemies. | Find me on Facebook and Twitter | Powered by Patrons | give through PayPal or leave a nice review on your favorite podcast platform.