All Saints

In this episode, Fr Richard Healey reflects on the profound themes from the Book of Revelation, the letter of First John, and the Gospel. He discusses the transformative power of Jesus’ sacrifice, symbolised by washing our robes in the blood of the Lamb. Fr Richard emphasises the importance of worship as an encounter with the divine, reminding us of our identity as children of God. He explores the promise of becoming like God through the Holy Spirit and highlights the teachings of the Sermon on the Mount as a roadmap for spiritual growth. Join us in embracing God’s love and our journey towards sainthood.

00:00:00 Each of the the three main readings that we have – the first reading from the Book of Revelation. Then the wonderful, beautiful letter of First John and then the gospel (of Matthew) all speak about our heritage. They speak about what our destiny can be, not because of anything that we have done. All of them are very clear and reminding us that this is all the work of God. This is what Jesus has done on our behalf. This is the difference that has happened because he has come among us, that he is now present. And through his death and resurrection especially, everything has changed. Everything has been transformed. This possibility of actually being saints has been opened to us. Yes, there was grace present in the Old Covenant. There was that possibility of of knowing God and being caught up in the wonder of that love with God. But everything is significantly changed and transformed. Because now, bizarrely, at the end of this reading reminds us we can wash our robes white again in the blood of Jesus.

00:01:23 That that the blood of the lamb has changed and transformed every experience, every encounter. I haven’t actually attempted to wash clothes white again with blood. I’m not sure that it’s going to be a terribly successful strategy to undertake, but that’s the gift of the Lord that everything that seems just bizarre to us is made possible, and we’re told what the instrument of that transformation is in, again, in first reading is in the act of worship, when we are able to gather around the throne room of God and just surrender ourselves in worship, crying out praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and strength to our God forever and ever. When our hearts are lifted in that love, when we’re able to be free from all of our current concerns as relevant and as valid as they are. But when we’re released to worship, then we begin to see what the vision of God is. The God has indeed lavished his love upon us. God indeed has chosen us and prepared us to be one with God.

00:02:46 And John reminds us in our second reading that what we ought to be in the future has not yet been revealed. All we know is that when it is revealed, we shall be like him. We shall be like God. It’s such good news. Is this really hard to believe and understand that in all of my frailty and my brokenness and my woundedness, that I can one day be like God. This divine ization that the Eastern Church speaks of, this slow transformation through the gift and power of the Holy Spirit, can actually change me to be like the father. And Jesus will enable that in the power of the Holy Spirit, and united with that whole gift of being caught up in the wonder of God. That’s what we celebrate today as we ponder and listen to those nine beatitudes that form the beginning of that wonderful block of teaching that we call the sermon on the Mount. You know, over those three chapters, Jesus just lays out so beautifully, so powerfully, so clearly how we can transform ourselves according to the mind of God.

00:04:09 And it is about the transformation of the heart, and it is about that experience and encounter with love. That’s where it all begins. That’s where the transformation begins to be unfolded within our hearts, so indeed, long that we might already begin to to recognize the children of God among us, that we might recognize that lavishing of God’s love upon us and we will allow that to transform us. We will allow that to purify us so that we can indeed be as faithful to God, that we can indeed become what we have been destined to and called to be.