Glory

 Feast of All Saints
Gospel
Mt 5:1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying:
"Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."

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When he descended, Moses' face was
so full of God's light, he had to wear a
veil to conceal it from the Israelites.

When God gave Moses the tablets of the ten commandments, He did so  atop a mountain, and when He spoke the beatitudes to the Apostles, He likewise did so from a mountain top. Mystics, when they are favored by the Lord revealing Himself to them, speak of being lifted up by God in exaltation, and if they are bidden to speak, find great difficulty in describing something so utterly different from the ordinary reality.

It is a bread so different, that no one can describe its savor, and some saints were surrounded by indescribably beautiful perfumes. It is not that we have never smelled such aromas, but they are not like ordinary perfume, so as to signify the divine pleasure with the beloved, and to signify the holiness of God which is beyond any virtue of men.

God dwells in His own realm, separate and different from where we live. Therefore, He is not to be found in the depths of pleasure or infatuation with self. When we realize we are in His presence, we know it is He because He has revealed Himself differently from any ordinary reality, and wherever He is, there is also peace, and joy, and holiness which delight.

We do not enjoy such a moment often, nor easily, and sometimes it transcends ordinary experience so much, it cannot be taken in altogether at once. Neither do ordinary men wish to leave or forsake such bliss, to return to the ordinary existence of men. Some have made it their life's journey, to experience that goodness again, and some had to wait until they died to find their fulfillment. Some would say it is worth any struggled to experience again.

All the saints experienced the otherness of God in themselves and in life, and they were so captivated that they were recognized as holy, "saints", from the Latin word "Sanctus".

Today we celebrate these things, and I hope whoever you are, reading what I write, can recognise that summit experience in your own life. It is a blessing.