TO-DAY,
beloved, we celebrate in the joy of one solemnity, the festival of All
Saints, in whose companionship the heaven exults; in whose guardianship the
earth rejoices; by whom triumphs the Holy Church is crowned; whose confession,
as braver in its passion, is also brighter in its honor—because while the
battle increased, the glory of them that fought in it was also augmented. And
the triumph of martyrdom is adorned with the manifold kind of its torments,
because the more severe the pangs, the more illustrious also were the rewards;
while our Mother, the Catholic Church, was taught by her Head, Jesus Christ,
not to fear contumely, affliction, death, and more and more strengthened—not by
resistance, but by endurance—inspired all of that illustrious number who
suffered imprisonment or torture, with one and equal ardor to fight the battle
for triumphal glory.
O truly blessed Mother Church! so illuminated by
the honor of divine condescension, so adorned by the glorious blood of
triumphant martyrs, so decked with the inviolate confession of snow- white
virginity! Among its flowers neither roses nor lilies are wanting. Endeavor
now, beloved, each for yourselves, in each kind of honor, to obtain your own
dignity—crowns, snow white for chastity, or purple for passion. In those
heavenly camps, both peace and war have their own flowers wherewith the
soldiers of Christ are crowned.
For the ineffable and unbounded goodness of God
has provided this also, that the time for labor and for agony should not be
extended—not long, not enduring, but short, and, so to speak, momentary; that
in this short and little life should be the pain and the labors, that in the
life which is eternal should be the crown and the reward of merits; that the
labors should quickly come to an end, but the reward of endurance should remain
without end; that after the darkness of this world they should behold that most
beautiful light, and should receive a blessedness greater than the bitterness
of all passions; as the apostle beareth witness, when he saith, “The sufferings
of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be
revealed in us.”
With how joyous a breast the heavenly city
receives those that return from flight! How happily she meets them that bear
the trophies of the conquered enemy! And with triumphant men, women also come,
who rose superior both to this world, and to their sex, doubling the glory of
their welfare; virgins with youths, who surpassed their tender years by their
virtues. Yet not they alone, but the rest of the multitude of the faithful
shall also enter the palace of that eternal court, who in peaceful union have
observed the heavenly commandments, and have maintained the purity of the
faith.
But above all these things is the being associated
with the companies of angels and archangels, thrones and dominations,
principalities and powers, and the enjoyment of the watches of all the
celestial virtues—to behold the squadron of the saints, adorned with stars; the
patriarchs, glittering with faith; the prophets, rejoicing in hope; the
apostles, who in the twelve tribes of Israel, shall judge the whole world; the
martyrs, decked with the purple diadems of victory; the virgins, also, with
their wreaths of beauty. But of the King, who is in the midst, no words are
able to speak. That beauty, that virtue, that glory, that magnificence, that
majesty, surpasses every expression, every sense of the human mind. For it is
greater than the glory of all saints; but to attain to that ineffable sight,
and to be made radiant with the splendor of His countenance, it were worth
while to suffer torment every day—it were worth while to endure hell itself for
a season, so that we might behold Christ coming in glory, and be joined to the
number of the saints; so is it not then well worth while to endure earthly
sorrows, that we may be partakers of such good, and of such glory?
What, beloved brethren, will be the glory of the
righteous; what that great gladness of the saints, when every face shall shine
as the sun; when the Lord shall begin to count over in distinct orders His
people, and to receive them into the kingdom of His Father, and to render to
each the rewards promised to their merits and to their works—things heavenly
for things earthly, things eternal for things temporal, a great reward for a
little labor; to introduce the saints to the vision of His Father’s glory; and
“to make them sit down in heavenly places,” to the end that God may be all in
all; and to bestow on them that love Him that eternity which He has promised to
them—that immortality for which He has redeemed them by the quickening of His
own blood; lastly, to restore them to Paradise, and to open the kingdom of
heaven by the faith and verity of His promise?
Let us consider that Paradise is our country, as
well as theirs; and so we shall begin to reckon the patriarchs as our fathers.
Why do we not, then, hasten and run, that we may behold our country and salute
our parents? A great multitude of dear ones is there expecting us; a vast and
mighty crowd of parents, brothers, and children, secure now of their own
safety, anxious yet for our salvation, long that we may come to their right and
embrace them, to that joy which will be common to us and to them, to that
pleasure expected by our fellow servants as well as ourselves, to that full and
perpetual felicity…. If it be a pleasure to go to them, let us eagerly and
covetously hasten on our way, that we may soon be with them, and soon be with
Christ; that we may have Him as our Guide in this journey, who is the Author of
Salvation, the Prince of Life, the Giver of Gladness, and who liveth and
reigneth with God the Father Almighty and with the Holy Ghost.
No comments:
Post a Comment