November 1, 2025
Matthew 5: 1-12a
Before the Gospel is even proclaimed, my attention is riveted by the vivid image in the First Reading from the Book of Revelation: “I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue.” This is what I imagine the “communion of saints” to look like: all colors, cultures, languages, ages, those frail and those robust, those youthful and those elderly, and everyone in between. The vision goes on to describe these holy ones as “those who have survived the time of great distress.” Dying and rising in union with Christ, they survived being immersed in the blood of the Lamb through all their life’s circumstances. All their grief and sorrow, their loss and pain have been transformed, and they now stand shoulder to shoulder, hand in hand, side by side, in one multicolored unity, wearing glorious robes which now shine out with all the beauty of God’s goodness.
This multitude of saints is one I am blessed to encounter and to even recreate each August. Near the Feast of the Assumption of Mary every year, the Notre Dame Family in California celebrates our own local assembly of this “great multitude” of “all saints.” The focus of our joyful gathering is the unique group of Sisters celebrating 40, 50, 60, 70, and even 75 years of life in Notre Dame. It has been my delight to lead the assembly in singing the litany of the saints before the Sisters renew their vows. Although beginning with “Holy Mary, Mother of God” and St. Julie, the litany quickly moves on to the great multitude of holy women and men who are deeply loved by the Sister Jubilarians: those Sisters of Notre Dame who were most formative for them as well as intimate family members who have died. The Sisters send me the names and I am privileged to sing them as the assembly responds “all you holy men and women, pray for us.”
This year we sang of Helen Benedict and Regina of the Sacred Heart, Rosemarie Julie and Mary Emmanuel, Paula Butier, Cecilia Wallace, Helen Dugan, Sharon Skain, and Aileen Marie, among others. But we also honored members of the Badalamente Family as well as Theresa Linehan’s Mother and Brother, Liane Delsuc’s Parents and Uncle Bud, together with deceased members of the Joyer and O’Reilly Families and many others: those members of the Jubilarians’ “communion of saints” very present with us during that Eucharist (as well as throughout our lives).
With my mind, heart and body so alive to the presence of all these “saints” as I listen to the First Reading, when the Gospel is proclaimed, there is of course an even more vivid image that comes to mind. The Gospel is Jesus’ description of his beloved “Beatitudes people” in the Gospel of St. Matthew. Jesus is teaching his disciples (and us) that this is the path he himself followed, the path of holiness and wholeness, the path of genuine joy and the abundance of life. For the Notre Dame Family, a new incarnation of the Beatitudes was seared into our imaginations with the death of our own beloved saint, Dorothy Stang, on February 12, 2005.
In her book, Martyr of the Amazon, Sister Roseanne Murphy describes the scene. “As she was walking alone through the forest, Dorothy’s way was blocked by two gunmen. …One of the men asked her if she had a weapon. She smiled and removed her Bible. ‘This is my only weapon,’ she said, and then proceeded to read from the Beatitudes: ‘Blessed are the poor in spirit…Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice…Blessed are the peacemakers; they shall be called children of God.’ As she turned to leave, one of the men called out to her. The other drew his gun, and when she looked back he shot her through her upraised hand, still clutching her Bible. He continued to fire, six times in all.”
The Reading from Revelation spoke of those who survived the time of great distress, of washing one’s robes in blood. Sister Dorothy is an infinitely precious model for us of one’s of Jesus’ disciples who did exactly that. May Sister Dorothy and all the great multitude of holy women and men who surround us guide and protect us as we too make daily choices to be poor in spirit, merciful, peacemakers, clean of heart, and those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. “All you holy men and women, pray for us!”
Matthew 5: 1-12a
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain, and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him. He began to teach them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.”
The Gospel of the Lord
Meet Sister Sharon McMillan, SNDdeN
