Please read this passage before reading the homily.
My sisters and brothers,
In his vision in the book of Revelation, St John saw an immense crowd so big that could not be counted. Those whom John saw were from all the nations and tribes, of all peoples and languages. Who are they? They are those who have through the great persecution and have washed their clothes in the blood of Christ, the Lamb of God.
We ought to see ourselves in that number of those standing around the throne and the Lamb. We suffer, but yes, we are faithful. We sin, but yes, we do repent. We have received baptism into the name of the Lamb: we are sons and daughters of God with Christ.
It is by the mercy of God that those whom John saw around the throne had passed through the great persecution and had washed their clothes in the blood of the Lamb of God. It is by the mercy of God that we are here in this parish church to celebrate and sing the glory of God and of the Lamb.
We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. The resurrection of Christ put to death and destroyed both Christ’s death and our deaths. If we have risen with Christ, we have the new life of Christ in place of our death. We do not have to fear our death because our death is hidden in the life of the resurrection of Christ.
The vision of John is that heaven is big enough to hold all of us. The mercy of God draws us all towards the throne of God. The blood of Christ has washed and cleansed us of all our sins.
We are people of the resurrection and the book of Revelation isa our book of glory.