Reflection for Sunday – November 1, 2026

Denise MackSunday Readings Homilies

Readings: Revelation 7: 2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3: 1-3; Matthew 5: 1-12a 
Preacher: Deni Mack

55 years ago, as our fourth baby cuddled in my lap, I said to our scripture sharing group, “I feel these beatitudes are way beyond reach.  How can anyone make peace 24/7?  As those words fell out of my mouth I sensed the fulsome comfort of God. God helped me grasp that no one can be perfect but that God is nurturing our every effort to make peace and is gentle with us as we mourn, when we are meek, when we hunger and thirst for justice and when we are merciful and all the time, no matter what.  God is merciful and sometimes we are too.

As comforting as that was, not long afterward my spirit shrunk in grief over someone’s cruel, harsh, yelling.  As I walked into church, I told God how I needed hope. Right then a young man signed each word of Mass to a young woman.  I thanked God for answering my prayer.  Minutes later a boy, about six years old, was bumping into people on the communion line.  His face was distorted. I prayed that the woman he bumped, who was sitting in an aisle seat, would not look at him with harsh judgment.  She turned and looked at him with a gentle smile that transformed him. He smiled at her and turned and walked in peace.  

We are surrounded by saints.  

St. Paul was surrounded by saints.  He thanked Lois and Eunice for their son/grandson, Timothy’s faith.  Paul called people “holy ones” and “saints” who he met in Prisca and Aquila’s, Lydia’s, Chloes’ and Phoebe’s house churches in Rome, Antioch, Cenchrae, Corinth, Ephesus and Philippi.  He equipped them for ministry. They were blessed even as they were imperfect.  We too are blessed even as we are sinners.  In Romans, Paul calls Junia and Andronicus outstanding among the apostles.  Who knew?

May we see saints among us. 

An old lady held a woman who was falling backwards from her walker.  She was not strong enough to lift her up, but she was strong enough to help her go down gently.  Another woman coached another in how to maneuver her new electric wheelchair to ease her way out of the elevator.  And a bent over man told another about his wife who is very sick.  Another reads to a listening gathering of people who no longer are able to read. And another brings breakfast to a few residents most mornings in a retirement home.  And another interviewed every retired nurse in the community and published these interviews.  Her stories of stellar and diverse care giving life savers are inspiring .

We are indeed surrounded by saints.

While blessings may seem beyond our reach and out of this world, Jesus nudges us to look around at the role models, the saints in our midst.  And Jesus nudges us to give it a try, to do some work with all the compassionate care we can muster, to share good news and get out the vote.  The smallest effort to listen to a grieving widow is a blessing.  The most enormous effort to not make a snarky remark blesses an entire room with peace.  The tiniest effort to praise someone who is meek may change a life.  Our showing up for a leader who hungers and thirsts for safe affordable housing for low-income families may be just the support that leader needs today.  Our bringing food to our brown skinned neighbors who fear being detained by ICE may be the very meal that brings them hope. 

Those who try living with Christ’s priorities see what corrupts this world; they peacefully resist injustice. We live among saints who form our community, who refuse to give up on those who despair, who mourn, who are meek.  We live among saints who research and work for justice, who are empathetic, compassionate, understanding, attentive, non-judgmental listeners, who see the best in people and evoke their best selves, who keep trying to make peace and ask that peacemaking be taught on every level in age appropriate, experiential ways.  These saints rise above criticism of being “goody two shoes,” “unrealistic,” “idealistic,” and “impractical.” Saints abound who live these beatitudes. They repair our sorely troubled world by putting into prayerful action their love for humanity despite failures.  These beatific people radiate Christ’s mercy as they remind us that access to high-quality health care, clean air, pure water, education and nutritious food are human rights.  They help us grasp that we’ll find happiness/blessings in striving to make such necessities accessible for all.  Happy All Saints Day!  Happy All Saints Alive Here and Now as well as in the Communion of Saints, that cloud of witnesses whose virtues we might imitate! Thanks Saints!

Denise Mack
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