Daily Readings - Sun Nov 01 2020
Revelation
2Then I saw another angel coming up from the east, having the seal of the living God. He called out in a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm the land and the sea:3"Do not harm the land or the sea or the trees until we put a seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."4Then I heard the number of those who were sealed: 144,000 from all the tribes of Israel.9After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb. They were wearing white robes and were holding palm branches in their hands.10And they cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb."11All the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures. They fell down on their faces before the throne and worshiped God,12saying: "Amen! Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!"13Then one of the elders asked me, "These in white robes--who are they, and where did they come from?"14I answered, "Sir, you know."
1 John
1How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.2Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.3Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
Matthew
1Now when he saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him,2and he began to teach them saying:3"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.4Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.5Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.6Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.7Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.8Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.9Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.10Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.11"Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.12Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way 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.