St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ and All Saints

This weekend is Saturday the 31 October, the feast of St Alphonsus Rodriguez SJ and Sunday the 1 November, the feast of All Saints, beginning the 31st week of Ordinary Time.  

The choir of Westminster Cathedral, directed by James O’Donnell, sing O quam gloriosum by Victoria: ‘How glorious is the kingdom, where all the saints rejoice with Christ.’  

This weekend’s reading is from the first letter of John.  

1 John 3:1-3  

See what love the Father has given 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. Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed. What we do know is this: when he is revealed, we will be like him, for we will see him as he is. And all who have this hope in him purify themselves, just as he is pure.    

“What love the Father has for us.”  “We are called children of God.”  Pause for a moment to let these profound statements sink in.  Allow God the Father in this moment to gaze on you.  Perhaps allow yourself to become a new born baby, wrapped in cloth, cradled in God’s arms.  God, the loving Father, is looking on in wonder at you.   

“What we will be has not yet been revealed.”  How do you feel about that?  About simply not knowing how or what you will be in the future?  In the light of God’s love for you right now, here in the present, can you allow Him to hold you in the future too?  And for the rest of today, can you answer your door or your phone or your emails with the expectation that you’ll meet Christ Himself?  

As you hear the passage again,  allow yourself to embrace the message of love.  

What do you need to ask God for as you journey, as it were, into the unknown?  But is it so unknown?  The writer is full of hope in saying “we will see him as he is”.  Talk to God, who accompanies you on your journey, and tell him what is on your heart.  

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.