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By Christopher Oji
Heaven is not reserved for Christians alone but is open to all who live according to God’s will, demonstrate genuine love and practise the virtues of humility, kindness and honesty, a Catholic priest, Rev. Fr. Zimife Mogbo, has said.
Mogbo, a Pauline priest, stated this during a homily at St. Paul Catholic Church, Obawole, Lagos, while marking the Solemnity of All Saints.
He said the celebration was not limited to canonised saints or people of the Christian faith but also recognised individuals of other religious backgrounds, including Muslims, Hindus and African traditional worshippers, who had lived virtuous lives pleasing to God.
According to him, some people who are not Christians have demonstrated remarkable humanity, compassion, honesty and humility, making their lives worthy of admiration and remembrance.
The priest recalled the traditional teaching that there was no salvation outside the Church, explaining that the Church had, however, clarified that although the fullness of salvation was found in her, God’s mercy was not limited to those who had received the Christian message.
He said people who had never had the opportunity to hear the Gospel could also benefit from God’s mercy if they lived according to their conscience and demonstrated genuine goodness.
“Not having the opportunity to become a Christian does not automatically mean that someone is unfaithful to God or that the person’s soul is lost,” he said.
Mogbo urged Christians not to judge people solely by their religious affiliations but by the virtues they demonstrated in their daily lives.
He cited examples of people in rural communities who refused to participate in evil practices or harmful rituals despite pressure from others, saying their moral convictions deserved recognition.
The priest said the Solemnity of All Saints was established by the Church to celebrate all saints, known and unknown, named and unnamed, canonised and uncanonised.
He explained that the celebration also honoured ordinary people whose lives reflected holiness, including grandmothers who had faithfully prayed the Rosary for decades and humble individuals who had lived in simplicity, dedication and service to others.
Mogbo said canonisation did not make someone a saint but rather represented the Church’s official recognition of a person’s holiness and virtuous life.
He also dismissed the notion that heaven could become full, insisting that there would never be an announcement that heaven had reached its seating capacity.
“ Heaven is bigger than our familiar understanding or imagination. The Church celebrates All Saints to remind us that God’s invitation is open to everyone who responds to His will,” he said.
Referring to the second reading from the First Letter of St. John, the priest reminded the faithful that they had been given the privilege of being called children of God.
He said every human being belonged to God, who remained the Shepherd of His people and continued to invite humanity into His loving presence.
Mogbo noted that although Christians were already children of God, their future destiny had not yet been fully revealed and would depend on how they lived their lives.
He urged the faithful to cherish their identity as children of God and live according to His commandments, warning that their choices and actions would have consequences for their spiritual future.
The priest, however, encouraged Christians to remain hopeful, stressing that when Christ appeared, the faithful would become like Him and see Him as He truly was.
He described this as the beatific vision, when believers would finally see God face to face and enjoy His eternal presence.
He also recalled St. Paul’s teaching that love remained when everything else had passed away, explaining that the love of God would be perfected when the faithful attained the beatific vision.
Mogbo stressed that attaining holiness required sacrifices, perseverance and a willingness to endure difficulties.
He said the saints were examples of people who had overcome the challenges of life and attained holiness, urging Christians to draw inspiration from their lives.
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“If the saints could overcome the challenges of life and attain holiness, we too can strive to become saints,” he said.
The priest warned against taking God’s mercy for granted, saying no sin was greater than His mercy as long as a person remained alive.
He, however, cautioned that people should not postpone repentance until the end of their lives, noting that although the repentant thief on the cross received the assurance of paradise from Jesus, not everyone would have the same opportunity.
He urged Christians to make good use of the opportunities and grace available to them while alive.
Reflecting on the Responsorial Psalm, Mogbo said those who could ascend the mountain of the Lord and stand in His holy place were people with clean hands and pure hearts whose souls were not set on vain things.
He warned that seemingly insignificant actions could gradually accumulate and become serious obstacles to holiness.
According to him, many Christians had allowed their hands to become involved in activities contrary to God’s will, while their hearts had been corrupted by selfish interests, ambitions, personal judgments and worldly desires.
The priest urged the faithful not to lose sight of the purpose of their existence, reminding them of Jesus’ teaching on storing up treasures in heaven rather than becoming excessively attached to earthly possessions.
He recalled the catechetical teaching that God created human beings to know Him, love Him and serve Him, stressing that these remained the fundamental purposes of human existence.
He said achievements such as education, marriage, having children, buying cars and building houses were important but secondary to the ultimate goal of attaining eternal life with God.
Mogbo urged Christians not to allow material possessions and worldly ambitions to distract them from their spiritual journey.
He also reflected on the heavenly vision in the Book of Revelation, in which St. John saw a great multitude from every nation, tribe, people and language standing before the throne of God and the Lamb.
He said the multitude, dressed in white robes and holding palm branches, proclaimed that salvation belonged to God and the Lamb.
The priest explained that the vision demonstrated the universality of God’s invitation to salvation, adding that heaven was open to all who responded faithfully to His call.
He said the people in white robes were those who had come through the great tribulation and washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb.
Mogbo stressed that suffering was part of the Christian journey and that following Christ did not guarantee freedom from trials, tribulations and difficulties.
He reminded the faithful that even Jesus Christ and His mother, Mary, experienced suffering, urging Christians to remain steadfast in their faith when confronted with challenges.
According to him, suffering should become an opportunity for purification and spiritual growth rather than a reason to abandon faith.
He said Christians who endured difficulties with patience and faith could emerge stronger and closer to God, while those who allowed suffering to corrupt their souls risked losing sight of their salvation.
The priest also referred to Jesus’ invitation in the Gospel acclamation to all who laboured and were burdened to come to Him for rest.
He urged Christians to turn to God in prayer whenever they encountered difficulties while trying to live according to His will.
Mogbo concluded by encouraging the faithful to listen to God’s voice, remain steadfast in their faith and continue striving for holiness.
He reminded them that the opportunity to become saints remained available as long as they were alive, urging them to embrace God’s mercy, obey His commandments and turn their daily struggles into opportunities for spiritual growth.
The Catholic Church celebrates All Saints on November 1 and All Souls’ Day on November 2, setting aside the two occasions to honour the saints and pray for the souls of the faithful departed.
