Happy All Saints Day

Rev. Fr. John Damian Adizie

Today is All Saints Day. We are celebrating the Victori­ous Ones. We are celebrating the great kingdom warriors. We are celebrating the Re­deemed of Christ. We are celebrating the triumphant ones. We are celebrating the heavenly champions. We are celebrating the Most Blessed Ones. Child of God, we are also celebrating your future reward! As long as you are living a righteous and upright life a crown of glory is waiting for you!

In Revelation 7:2-14, St. John narrates the vision he saw concerning the Saints: “I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and for­ty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Isra­el. After this I looked, and be­hold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” Indeed, salva­tion, glory and honour belong to the Most High God!

In 1 John 3:1-3, St. John re­minds us, “Beloved: See what love the Father has given us that we should be called chil­dren of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God’s children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.” As St. John rightly testified we are God’s Children. We are des­tined to be saints!

The book of Revelation 7:9- 14 narrates what happens in heaven, “All the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing, glory, wis­dom, thanksgiving, honour, power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Heaven is a place of worship and adoration. It is a place where the angels and saints converge together to praise the Living God. O LORD, I want to be in their number when the saints shall praise your name!

The author of the book of revelation talks about the identity of the Saints “Then one of the elders addressed me saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where they have come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

From this passage we can now derive the true meaning and identity of the saints. The saints are those who have come out of the great tribu­lations. As our LORD Jesus Christ assured his followers in the beatitudes, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. The saints are those who have en­dured persecutions for the sake ofChrist and the gospel.

Nothing unclean can en­ter the kingdom of heaven. For one to be admitted into God’s kingdom He must be completely cleansed. The saints are also those who have washed their robes with the precious blood of our LORD Jesus Christ. Our LORD Jesus Christ is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. To Him be glory and praise both now and for­evermore – Amen!