ALL SAINTS SERMON – FR KEITH
Sunday 30th October 2022
Many people think of saints as being super-human, beings on a much higher level than the rest of us, perfection personified. We see them pictured in stained glass windows, or as statues or icons, and this reinforces the idea of their ‘otherness’ to us. But, real saints would be the first to tell you that they are as human as the rest of us, and, in their lives on earth, they made mistakes and were far from perfect. What makes them stand out as saints is the fact that they knew they were in need of God’s forgiveness, they listened to Him and let themselves be guided in doing the things that Jesus taught us to do.
Today we give thanks for saints well-known and less well known. Some saints have special days named after them, others do not, but today we give thanks for them all, for the example of holiness they give us, and the fact that, from heaven, they can help us with their prayers.
So, what does it take to become a Saint, and who can become one? Well, the answer to the latter is – anyone, and the key to the former lies in the words of todays’ gospel reading.
When I was thinking about this reading, the hymn ‘O Lord all the world belongs to you’ came to mind. In it, the author, Patrick Appleford, writes about following the teachings of Jesus and living the new life He brings, as ‘turning the world upside down’. I believe he’s right, and that to become a ‘saint’, does mean taking a radically different path to what the world expects – the world where selfishness and greed so often rule the day.
In the hymn Patrick Appleford mentions God’s forgiveness, Jesus’ instruction to love your enemies as well as your friends, to reject the idea of wealth making you great, and instead, to be servants of others rather than self, just as Jesus was. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus is clear that the Kingdom of God belongs to the poor, the hungry, the sad, to those who are hated for their faith, those who turn the other cheek, those who share what they have with others
All Saints Day is the perfect time, then, for us all to look at how true we are being to our calling to be followers of Jesus. How ‘saintly’ are we being in our day to day lives? Are we truly penitent? Are we good forgivers? Do we love our enemies and do good to those who hate us? Do we turn the other cheek? Do we always treat others as we would have them treat us? Do we do enough sharing of our riches are we turning the world upside down or are we still caught up in worldly values and priorities rather than God’s?
Writing to the Ephesians, Paul talks about the inheritance we have obtained in Christ to live for the praise of his glory. When we came to believe in Him we were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit. Paul prays that the followers of Jesus may be given a spirit of wisdom and revelation as they come to know the Father of glory. This should be our prayer for one another and for ourselves too, so that, as Paul says: ‘with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power’.
It is easy to get discouraged, even despondent, in the light of all the problems we are facing in our world at the moment. We may well think that we can do very little to make our world a better place, that we have little real power to make the changes necessary. But, we must always remember that we do have power in Christ, as Paul says, and that by His death and resurrection he has already put all things under his feet. If we keep the faith and do our best to live it out in the way Jesus told us and showed us, we will make a difference, and be like the saints of old who played their part in ‘turning the world upside down’. Today let’s all renew our resolve to do the same, for the good of all in God’s wonderful creation.
