Daily Readings - Sat Nov 01 2025
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
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.