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Myriads of Saints

A blessed solemnity of All Saints to all our readers, a feast that goes back to its official institution by Pope Gregory III (731 – 741),as a commemoration of all the countless martyrs who could not have their own particular day. This was during what we know ironically as the ‘dark ages’, during which many things of light occurred, such as this glorious feast, in an oratory in Saint Peter’s (not the glorious structure we now stands on that spot, which was constructed during the renaissance). Eventually, the feast was extended to include all those who had lived holy lives, unknown to the broader history, yet enjoying eternal beatitude with God. Since then we have celebrated with great joy all the saints, known and especially those unknown, our own ancestors, grandparents, parents, relatives and friends, now enjoying heavenly bliss.

How many? The Jehovah’s witnesses get this wrong, thinking there will only be ‘144,000’ in heaven, from Revelation 7:4. Yet a few verses later, the author, Saint John, then sees ‘a great multitude which no man could number’, who had come through the tribulations of this life faithful to God.

We know not how many will be ‘saved’, for in the end, salvation is an individual and personal business, between the soul, specifically the conscience, and God, one that is not open to psychological nor statistical analysis.  As Pope Benedict put it in his 2008 encyclical Spe Salvi:

Praise the Lord

Read the Whole Article at https://catholicinsight.com/