Daily Readings - Sun Nov 01 2020

²And I saw another Angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the Seal of the living God. And he cried out, in a great voice, to the four Angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea³saying: "Do no harm to the earth, nor to the sea, nor to the trees, until we seal the servants of our God on their foreheads.⁴And I heard the number of those who were sealed: one hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel⁹After these things, I saw a great crowd, which no one could number, from all the nations and tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and in sight of the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands¹⁰And they cried out, with a great voice, saying: "Salvation is from our God, who sits upon the throne, and from the Lamb.¹¹And all the Angels were standing around the throne, with the elders and the four living creatures. And they fell upon their faces in view of the throne, and they worshipped God¹²saying: "Amen. Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving, honor and power and strength to our God, forever and ever. Amen.¹³And one of the elders responded and said to me: "These ones who are clothed in white robes, who are they? And where did they come from?¹⁴And I said to him, "My lord, you know." And he said to me: "These are the ones who have come out of the great tribulation, and they have washed their robes and have made them white by the blood of the Lamb

1 John

Chapter 3

¹See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we would be called, and would become, the sons of God. Because of this, the world does not know us, for it did not know him²Most beloved, we are now the sons of God. But what we shall be then has not yet appeared. We know that when he does appear, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is³And everyone who holds this hope in him, keeps himself holy, just as he also is holy

Matthew

Chapter 5

¹Then, seeing the crowds, he ascended the mountain, and when he had sat down, his disciples drew near to him²and opening his mouth, he taught them, saying³"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven⁴Blessed are the meek, for they shall possess the earth⁵Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be consoled⁶Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied⁷Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy⁸Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God⁹Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God¹⁰Blessed are those who endure persecution for the sake of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven¹¹Blessed are you when they have slandered you, and persecuted you, and spoken all kinds of evil against you, falsely, for my sake¹²be glad and exult, for your reward in heaven is plentiful. For so they persecuted the prophets who were before you

Sermon

In today’s readings, we encounter powerful visions of hope and reflections on our identity as children of God. The Book of Revelation presents a glorious scene of the sealed multitude standing before the throne, clothed in white robes, praising God. This vision, written in a time of persecution, offers comfort to believers, assuring them that their trials are not in vain and that their ultimate destiny is to stand before God in joy and worship. The First Letter of John reminds us of our divine adoption, calling us children of God, and invites us to live with the hope of one day seeing God as He truly is. This hope, John tells us, compels us to live holy lives, for we are called to reflect the purity of God. The Gospel from Matthew takes us to the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes. These blessings reveal the countercultural values of God’s kingdom: poverty of spirit, meekness, mercy, and peacemaking. Jesus teaches us that true happiness and fulfillment come not from worldly success but from living in harmony with God’s will. These readings are deeply connected, as they all point to the transformative power of living as children of God. Revelation shows us the ultimate triumph of God’s people, John emphasizes our identity and vocation as God’s children, and Matthew provides the practical path of living out that identity in love and holiness. As we reflect on these readings, let us ask ourselves: How are we living as children of God in our daily lives? Are we cultivating the Beatitudes—being merciful, pure of heart, and peacemakers? The readings invite us to trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems uncertain. Let us embrace the hope that comes from knowing we are destined for eternal life with God. May we strive to live in a way that reflects our dignity as God’s children, and may we find joy in following the path that Jesus has laid out for us. In doing so, we will not only experience the peace of God in our hearts but also become instruments of His peace in the world.