Saturday, November 1,  2025  –  Matthew 5:1-12a

All Saints

In our Gospel Reading from Matthew, we hear the famous story about the beatitudes that Jesus shared with his apostles and disciples: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.”

The saints were not always perfect, but there was a sense that they were holy. Are you going to strife for holiness or perfection? Let us rejoice for all the holy women and men who have gone before us on whose shoulders we stand. 

Lord God, we thank you for all the saints’ work for us as they continue to build up your Church. May they continue to inspire us on our journey with you.  

The deepest desire in my heart is to find everlasting goodness, love, and peace. This is GOD. I will find God now if I gently focus on this moment and let myself experience this moment. When I do this, the LOVE OF GOD AND WISDOM OF GOD can take over, heal me, and guide and gently give me the roadmap for this moment. My deepest desire is to experience God. I can easily forget this if I rush through life. This is the moment to encounter God and let God take over. God is really the SOURCE OF ALL LOVE AND JOY. And the more loving I am to others, the more I will experience GOD’S LOVE COMING TOWARD ME.

BUT MY SOUL SHALL BE JOYFUL IN THE LORD. Yes, true joy comes from God’s Loving Presence. Wisdom comes to me when I discover how God’s Loving and Joyful Presence embraces me in this moment. Each moment is a gift from God. When I realize this, the Joy and Love of God can take over and fill me with Love and Joy. But to gain this profound awareness, I must take the necessary actions to keep my mind and heart open to God. I must spend much quiet time with God and invest only in positive thoughts, words, and actions. And getting daily exercise is a big help. It seems so simple, but I must not complicate it. God is not complicated so that I will remain simple, receptive, and open to God throughout this day. INTO YOUR LOVING PRESENCE, I COMMEND MY WHOLE SELF IN EACH MOMENT OF THIS DAY.