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Home (/) / Sunday Bible Reflections (/reflections) / Saints, Here and There: Scott Hahn Reflects on the Solemnity of All Saints

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Saints, Here and

There: Scott Hahn Reflects
on the Solemnity of All Saints
3K

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October 26, 2015

00:00

September, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/09)
-03:00

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August, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/08)
July, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/07)
June, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/06)
May, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/05)

Readings:
Revelation 7:2-4 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Rev%207.2-4), 9-14
(http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Revelation%207.9-14)
Psalm 24:1-61 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Ps%2024.1-61)
John 3:1-3 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/John%203.1-3)
Matthew 5:1-12 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Matt%205.1-12)

April, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/04)
March, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/03)
February, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/02)
January, 2016
(https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/archive/2016/01)

The first reading focuses us for todays solemnity. In the Book of Revelation, St.
John reports a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every
nation, race, people, and tongue (Revelation 7:9
(http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Rev%207.9)).

2015 (/reflections/archive/2015)

This is Good News. Salvation has come not only for Israel, but for the Gentiles as
well. Here is the fulfillment of Gods promise to Abraham, that by his seed all the
nations of the world would bless themselves (see Genesis 22:18
(http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Gen%2022.18)).

2012 (/reflections/archive/2012)

2014 (/reflections/archive/2014)
2013 (/reflections/archive/2013)

2011 (/reflections/archive/2011)

The Church celebrates many famous Christians on their individual memorials, but
today she praises God for all His holy ones, His saints. That is the title St. Paul
preferred when he addressed his congregations.
Divinized by baptism, they were already saints, by the grace of God (see
Colossians 1:2 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Col%201.2)). They awaited, however, the
day when they could share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Colossians
https://stpaulcenter.com/reflections/saints-here-and-there-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-solemnity-of-all-saints

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Sunday Bible Reflections | St. Paul Center

9/22/16 3:17 PM

1:12 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Col%201.12)).
And so do we, as the Scriptures give us reasons for both celebration and hope. In
our second reading, St. John tells us that to be saints means to be children of
Godand then he adds: so we are! Note that he speaks in the present tense.
Yet John also says that we have unfinished business to tend. We are already Gods
children, but what we shall be has not yet been revealed. Thus we work out our
salvation: Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure, as He is
pure (1 John 3:1-3 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/1%20John%203.1-3)).
We do this as we share the life of Christ, who defined earthly beatitude for us. We
are blessed, he says, when we are poor, when we mourn, when we are
persecuted for his sake. It is then we should Rejoice and be glad, for [our] reward
will be great in heaven (Matthew 5:12 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Matt%205.12)).
Until then, we pray with the Psalmist: Lord, this is the people that longs to see
your face. Salvation has come through Abrahams seed, but it belongs to all
nations. For the Lords are the earth and its fullness; the world and those who
dwell in it (Psalm 24:1 (http://biblia.com/bible/rsv/Ps%2024.1)).

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