Psalm 141:3
3 O Lord, set a guard at my mouth, keep watch at the gate of my lips.
The tongue can be an instrument causing grave damage to reputations. It can cause irretrievable harm. Words once spoken go forth from the mouth and cannot be recalled. Sometimes they are spoken carelessly, callously and deliberately seek to to wound, to advertise abroad the weaknessess of secrets of another. Such behaviour cause the angels to hide in shame on our behalf. Help me my Beloved to never use my tongue to tear down but to build up. Better to be silent and appear stupid rather than be the cause of another's distress. May I never wish to seem clever at the cost of the feelings of another's good name or character.
Revelations 7:2-4, 9-14
2 I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, carrying the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels empowered to harm the earth and the sea, 3 “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.”
4 Then I heard the number of those marked with the seal: a hundred and forty-four thousand from all the tribes of the people of Israel:
9 After this I saw a great crowd, impossible to count, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and they cried out with a loud voice, “Who saves but our God who sits on the throne and the Lamb?”
11 All the angels were around the throne, the elders and the four living creatures; they then bowed before the throne with their faces to the ground to worship God. 12 They said,
Amen. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen!
13 At that moment, one of the elders spoke up and said to me, “Who are these people clothed in white, and where did they come from?” 14 I answered, “Sir, it is you who know this.”
The elder replied, “They are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb.
Beloved, we are created in order to live with You eternally once we have lived a life pleasing to You here on earth. You not only taught us how to live but You gave us a perfect example of living and dying in order that we too may be numbered among Your saints. The saints the Church honors today give glory to God for they have triumphed as we too hope to triumph. May they all pray for us and encourage us as we pray to them to assist us in our brief sojourn here on earth, until we too can receive the place You have prepared for us.
1 John 3:1-3
1 See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him.
2 Beloved, we are God’s children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. 3 All who have such a hope try to be pure as he is pure.
St. John reminds us of the special love the Father has for us. God calls us His children. He also speaks of the glory that we too will enjoy in You Beloved. All of us who hope for this future must strive to be pure, as You Beloved are pure.
Matthew 5:1-12 (Text from New Revised Standard Version)
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
3 ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
4 ‘Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 ‘Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
6 ‘Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
7 ‘Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.
8 ‘Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 ‘Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
10 ‘Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 ‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely* on my account. 12Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Beloved, the crowd accompanies You as You go up the mountain. You always went up the hill or mountain to spend time alone with Your Dad. This time you let the crowd go with You. They gather around You, You sit down, You make Yourself at home and then You begin to speak the words of life. You invite us to live and be guided by the principles by which You Yourself lived. In this is our true happiness, joy and fulfillment. This is a language that is foreign to the culture of the age and yet there are those in the world throughout history and even today, whose lives shine brightly because they live as You taught us to do. This is the attitude You invite us to have as children of God and as co-heirs to the Kingdom. The attitude that can bring us happiness as well as persecution in this life and the crown of glory in the next.
Psalm 24:3-6
3 Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord?
Who will stand in his holy place?
4 Those with clean hands and pure heart,
who desire not what is vain,
and never swear to a lie.
5 They will receive blessings from the Lord,
a reward from God, their savior.
6 Such are the people who seek him,
who seek the face of Jacob’s God.
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