Daily Readings - Sat Nov 01 2025

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

The readings today invite us to reflect on our identity as children of God and the hope that comes from living as His people. In Revelation, we see a vision of the end times where God’s servants are sealed and a great multitude from all nations worship before the throne, clothed in white robes, having endured tribulation and washed their garments in the blood of the Lamb. This scene speaks of God’s ultimate triumph and the eternal salvation of His people. In 1 John, we are reminded that we are already called children of God, though what we will be in the end has not yet been revealed. We are encouraged to live holy lives, knowing that when Christ appears, we will be like Him. In the Gospel, Jesus teaches the Beatitudes, describing the characteristics of those who are blessed: the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who endure persecution for the sake of justice. These are the marks of His followers, and they are promised eternal rewards. These readings are deeply connected. The vision in Revelation gives us a glimpse of the ultimate fulfillment of the Beatitudes. The white-robed multitude before the throne represents those who have lived out the Beatitudes, enduring suffering and remaining faithful. Similarly, 1 John emphasizes our present identity as children of God, which should shape how we live in the here and now. The Beatitudes, in turn, provide a practical guide for living as God’s people, trusting in His promises even when the world does not understand us. In our daily lives, these readings call us to embrace our identity as children of God and to live in a way that reflects His holiness and love. We are to hunger and thirst for justice, to be merciful, and to be peacemakers, even in the face of persecution. We are to trust that our struggles and sacrifices are not in vain, for they are part of the journey that leads us to eternal life. Let us strive to live with purity of heart, so that we may see God, and let us hold fast to the hope that one day we will see Him as He is.