In
the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
What
Our Lord describes on the Mountain, St. John sees in his vision. He
sees a great multitude of the poor in spirit made rich in the grace
of Jesus Christ. Theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. He sees those who
were persecuted like the prophets. They have come to their reward.
They have left behind all mourning, meekness, hunger, and thirst. Day
and night they serve the Lord in His Temple. They are satisfied. St.
John sees the saints of God purified and gathered about the Lamb who
has freed them by the outpouring of His Blood.
And
notice this: he sees no stars, no celebrities. He does not name the
apostles, martyrs, or prophets. He does not name kings or reformers
or saints commemorated by the Church. They are there, to be sure. But
he does not see them or notice them. All he sees are saints. They are
all loved and honored by God. It is not so much that they are
nondescript. He does notice that they are from every tribe and
nation. But his attention is firmly fixed not upon them but upon the
Lamb. In this he is like them. For he sees that all the saints and
all the holy angels and the four living creature are adoring the
Lamb.
