Walking with Jesus: The Feast of All Saints

Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14; 1 John 3:1-3; Matthew 5:1-12

Today we are celebrating the feast of All Saints — what does that mean? Every person in heaven is a saint. They have accomplished the plan God has for each person — eternal life with Him forever. God laid out the plan but they didn’t exactly latch on to it right away. They had so many different plans and goals they wanted to achieve. But they came to discover in so many different ways that God loves them. It’s very special to know that we are loved. Hopefully, we've heard it many times in our lives, perhaps every day. We have said “I love you” to a whole array of people who have touched us, encouraged us, taught us, been examples for us, even plucked us out of the gutter. Our “thank you” is spoken from the depths of our being. Each of us has experiences of this uncomplicated, sincere, giving and caring love from those who are special to us. So then what is heaven? This is God’s place where He is embracing those who have loved His beloved children. Heaven is God’s thankful reward place for all who have been a part of His plan to bring all creation to Himself.

Mark’s gospel explains this perfectly when a scribe who has heard Sadducees, Scribes and Pharisees disputing with Jesus and sees how well Jesus responds. He asks Jesus in all sincerity: “Which is the first of all the commandments?” Jesus replies, “The first is this: Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is Lord alone! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is this: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these.” The scribe replies, “Well said, teacher. You are right in saying He is One and there is no other than He. And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is worth more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” Seeing him respond with understanding, Jesus says to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions. [Mark 12:28-34] He was on the right path … this is the only path to heaven. This is the path God has laid out for us: loving Him and loving neighbor, and by loving neighbor we are loving God. (See last week's blog.) Today’s readings spell this out.

The scene in Revelation comes as the Lamb of God has just broken the sixth of seven seals on a scroll. This anticipates events before the end of time. Before this happens an angel comes and holds the seal of the living God to meet God’s faithful servants on earth. Once on earth themselves, these people were sinners just like us whom God has chosen for Himself and for life forever with Him. They were able to achieve this exalted state not because they were great but because God is greater. Through repentance of their sin and God’s incorruptible judgment and mercy they have been purified and brought into the Kingdom of Heaven. These are the believers from all over the world. The stain of sin has been washed from their robes by the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus. God has won salvation for each one of us. Are we living accordingly?

The first letter of John to this point has been developing the theme of “fellowship with God,” which means a sharing in God’s eternal life through Christ. This is accomplished by loving others, repentance and avoiding sin. We are avoiding turning away from God by loving others.

Jesus teaches us how in the Beatitudes. Matthew gives two details that are the key: Jesus sits down to teach and He begins to teach. When rabbis sat down to teach, it indicates that they are presenting official doctrine. When they speak, this indicates an official declaration giving the speaker’s most deeply held convictions. So by His actions, Jesus is expressing the most important words spoken by the Word of God. Often we hear in Scripture that Jesus speaks as one with authority … so we can either accept or reject it but we cannot write it off, nor can we treat it like just His opinion among many: This is from God. He is saying, Look at Me, listen to Me, follow Me. This is the way … this is the only way. As Fr. John Bartunek writes in The Better Part, “Christ is a teacher who must either be accepted completely or rejected completely; to claim that He was merely one insightful religious leader and philosopher among history’s many is to falsify His doctrine and miss the point. With Jesus Christ, it’s all or nothing.” What we do know for sure is that we are God’s children. Jesus taught us to call God our Father with confidence. Whatever word we use for God, it describes an intimate relationship of belonging that can’t be broken no matter what the future holds. Are we Beatitude people? Are we working on being saints? Are we following God’s lead in this?

So I reflect on:

• What is my initial reaction when I read that I am the dying, and those who have gone before me are the living? Does this feel morbid or glorious? Does it change my world-view?
• Family, friends and favorites who have gone before me have overcome many fears, faults and failings on their journey to become saints. Which of those fears, faults and failings do I still need to work on?
• Do I think of myself as a potential saint? Lord, give me the grace to seek their company.
  

Sacred Space 2020 states:

“When Jesus has finished speaking, I sit with Him and ask the question that has been lurking in my heart: ‘Lord where do I fit in here?’ He smiles at me and says, ‘Well, let’s go over these beatitudes together!’ So we do. He is wonderfully sensitive and helps me notice even small ways in which I live them out. I come away from our conversation determined to sit lightly to possessions, to be concerned for justice, to be merciful, to be a peacemaker, to be pure in heart. As He says to me, This is a lifelong agenda, but we will work on it together.

“Four times we are told that those who appear to be the most unfortunate in this world are actually the ones who are blessed by God. God will right the wrongs they suffer and bring them justice. This turns all worldly values upside down. Have I yet experienced the upturning of my worldly values?”