But the saints are powerful! Full of the Glory of God.
The saints are God’s holy ones. In the Old Testament we often hear about the Just, or the Righteous people of God (Psalm 106:3, Proverbs 3:33). These are the friends of God, the ones who followed after His will and meditated on His commandments (Genesis 6:9, Proverbs 20:7, Job 1:1, James 2:22) . The Bible often mentions about His Righteous ones who will judge nations and becomes rulers in the new Kingdom of God. Their very way of living according to the Law of God became a judgement on those who rejected God.
It is time for us to reclaim this powerful understanding of the Saints. The are the living example of the plans God has for all of us in the eschaton - the end of time.
Jesus is the Christ or the Messiah, but sometimes we forget that Christ is a title and not his actual name. This is also why he is called the Lord. Calling Him Kyrios (Lord in Greek) affirmed his special relationship with the Father as also being a Divine person. This mystery of the human and divine natures of our Lord Jesus Christ is called the Hypostatic Union.
Christ is the Greek version of Messiah which is - the Annointed one. This is the special chosen and consecrated one of God who is the King and Ruler of God’s chosen people - the saints (Deuteronomy 28:15-19, Micah 2:2, Daniel 9:25-2, Isaiah 52:13 , Isaiah 53:12). All the citizens of this kingdom will be Just and Righteous, following the example of their Leader who is the Messiah King, the Christ. In the book of Revelation in the Office of Readings for today it beautifully illustrates this point:
“Then I saw in the right hand of the one seated on the throne a scroll written on the inside and on the back, sealed with seven seals; and I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, “Who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals?” And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it. And I began to weep bitterly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep. See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has conquered, so that he can open the scroll and its seven seals.” Then I saw between the throne and the four living creatures and among the elders a Lamb standing as if it had been slaughtered, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He went and took the scroll from the right hand of the one who was seated on the throne. When he had taken the scroll, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell before the Lamb, each holding a harp and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. They sing a new song: “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slaughtered and by your blood you ransomed for God saints from every tribe and language and people and nation; you have made them to be a kingdom and priests serving our God, and they will reign on earth.”Revelation 5:1-10 NRSV-CI
The Saints already reign with Jesus in heaven now in glory. They share in His glory, they participate in it and the light they shine is the Light of God. Through their personal victory over sin, they now are united with the supreme Victor, the Conquerer of sin and death - the Messiah, Jesus Christ the Lion from the Tribe of Judah. When He comes in glory to finalise and complete the Kingdom here on earth, the Saints will be with Him and rule together with Him. They will be His Priests and Kings serving in the Kingdom of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.
This sharing in the victory of Christ and ruling together with him is also powerfully prophesied in Psalm 149 which is prayed on the Divine Office on all Feast days and Solemnities of the Church:
Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing *
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people. *
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, *
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips *
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations *
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; *
this honor is for all his faithful.
This passage can appear violent and out of place with our understanding of the peace Jesus promises us and His example of humility. However we need to understand that the Kingdom of God is based on God Himself and His attitudes of Goodness, Love, Truth and Justice. This means that the Messianic King restores God’s Justice in the Kingdom where unrighteousness and evil will no longer have any power. But at this present time, the Kingdom of God exists as a seed that has not fully blossomed yet. The Kingdom of God exists in the hearts and souls of all those who are baptised and living in a state of sanctifying grace - that is, in you and I - the saints who have not yet been perfected in the fullness of Christ. This is what St Paul is referring to in Ephesians 3:19 discussing the “pleroma” or the fullness.
The Kingdom of God on earth is the Church - the One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church. This is taught dogmatically by the Church in chapter 1 of Lumen Gentium and Article 7 of the Catechism. The Church is also the Mystical Body of Christ of which of all us as baptised Catholics are members of the Body and through our fellowship with eachother in Christ are united as one. This unity of the faithful is what we also call the Communion of Saints, which is an article of the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed professed during Mass. The Communion of Saints refers to us here on earth striving after the Kingdom who are also mysteriously united to those whose faith has been perfected in the glory of heaven - those we call the Saints.
The Saints through their perfect union with Christ, through their fullness of sanctifying and actual grace, now see God face to face in the glory of heaven. This is what we call the “Beatific Vision” - the vision of the blessed on heaven, who now have been so purified from all sin that they can now see God. This is what Jesus refers to in the Beatitudes in Matthew 5:8. This verse is also applied to the Saints for todays Solemnity in antiphon 2 of the Office of Readings.
The Saints as the victorious ones now reigning with Christ the one True King, also now share in the blessings of the Kingdom. As heirs to the Kingdom, ministers and rulers together with Christ - they also have the power and authority to share graces with us here on earth. Their own merits are united with the infinite merits of Christ that he won for us on the Cross, and they now share these merits with us. They dispense these merits through interceding and praying for us from their thrones in heaven.
This is alluded to in the Collect for todays’s Solemnity and referred to by the last part of the 2nd reading in the Office of Readings from a sermon by St Bernard of Clairvaux:
The glorious head of the Church will appear and his glorified members will shine in splendor with him, when he forms this lowly body anew into such glory as belongs to himself, its head.
Therefore, we should aim at attaining this glory with a wholehearted and prudent desire. That we may rightly hope and strive for such blessedness, we must above all seek the prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be granted through their intercession.
The Saints are our brothers and sisters who have gone before us to complete the race set before them (Hebrews 12:1-2), who have won the crown of salvation granted to them by the Lamb who was slain - the Messianic King and the Champion, the Victorious one who rules in heaven and will come to also rule on earth. The Saints are the Elect, the chosen ones called to follow Christ into His Kingdom and now share in his glory through their union with Him.
With these powerful Intercessors who watch over us, support us in our battle with sin, encourage us and celebrate with us when we turn back to God (Luke 15:7) - how can we not be encouraged to pick up our cross and seek after the righteousness of God in His Kingdom (Matthew 6:33)? How can we not be excited to join in the ranks of the elect who share in the Wedding Feast of the Lamb, who clothes His bride in the beautiful garment of the meritous deeds and righteous acts of the Saints (Revelation 16:6-9)?
We know that the Army in Heaven is also called the Hosts of Heaven. This army is made up of all the angels as well as the Righteous ones, the ones we know are the Saints. When Jesus returns in glory at the Final Judgement, at the Resurrection of the Dead - all the angels and saints will accompany him to also judge the earth, to judge the unrighteouss (1 Corinthians 6:2, Jude 2:14-15) and share in the victory of their King, the just Judge who holds the keys of Death (Rev 1:18). The Lord God Sabaoth calls his heavenly host to share in His Victory and rejoice together with Him.
With such powerful friends, how can we not also want to join them? How can we not burn with zeal to share in their joy?
Jesus calls us all into this joy to share in the inheritance of the Saints (Matthew 25:34). Let us rejoice today for our brethren who are already participating now in this joy. Let us rejoice in the revelation of the glorious inheritance of the Saints (1:17-21) that we too will share in one day as the Children of God (Romans 8:19) at the final unveiling of all, at the Apocalypse.
Let us join in the hymn of praise, this eschatological hymn that the Church gives us today and on other days of Solemnity known as the Te Deum as we celebrate our siblings in the faith - All Saints:
You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the king of glory,
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.
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