Shining Seals

A Reflection on the First Reading for November 1st, 2020:
The Solemnity of All Saints

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REVELATION
7:2-4, 9-14

Then I saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads." And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel, After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen." Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
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Pause. Pray.

And then read more...

“Do not damage the earth or the sea until we have marked the servants of God with a seal on their foreheads.” (Revelation 7:3)

Reading this passage from Revelation brought me right back to my wedding day. It was one of the most significant days of my life. My husband Phil and I pledged ourselves to each other on that day — we were being sealed together by the vows we took and the grace that God poured onto us through the sacrament of marriage. The response we chose for the liturgy was Song of Solomon 8:6, “Set me as a seal upon your heart, as a seal upon your arm.” 

Seals, in biblical times as well as today, are used to guarantee security or indicate ownership. Ancient seals were usually made of wax or clay embedded with a personalized imprint. A king would put his personalized seal on a document so that the person receiving it would be assured that it came from the king and hadn’t been tampered with.

On our wedding day, Phil and I gave ourselves to each other: I was now his and he was mine. In Revelation 7, John hears the angel say he will mark the servants of God with a seal on their foreheads so they will be known as belonging to God. The seal would protect them from the “damage” that the other angels were about to unleash. One thing that stood out to me was the fact that the seal was to be put on their foreheads where it could be seen by everyone who looked at them.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church describes Baptism as a seal:

“Baptism is God's most beautiful and magnificent gift… [We call it] seal as it is our guard and the sign of God's Lordship.” (CCC 1216)

It’s easy to tell two people who have pledged themselves to each other. The way they stand together, look at each other, hold hands or serve each other, all are tell-tale signs of their commitment to the other. They have been sealed together. At Baptism we are marked as belonging to God, but would anyone know that to look at us? Are the seals on our foreheads visible or masked by our worldly ways? There are many days that I am sure no one would know that I am a follower of Christ, times when I cover up my seal for fear of rejection or confrontation. 

Even though I cover my seal some days, this doesn’t mean it’s not there. God still sees us as His own. In the second reading this Sunday, John says, “Beloved: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called Children of God, and that is what we are.” (1John 3:1)
By His love, God seals us and sets us apart so that the world will see us and know Him. 

Today and every day let us allow our “seals” to shine. Let’s pray together that all our doubt and fear be cast aside so we can truly be seen as children of God, sealed by His love.




Maxine Brown
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