For All the Saints

All Saints Sunday, St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, November 5, 2023, by Sr. Annette Fricke, OP All Saints’ Day “Commemorates all saints, known and unknown, on November 1. All Saint’s Day is one of the seven principal feasts of the church year, and one of the four days recommended for the administration of baptism. All Saints’ Day may also be celebrated on the Sunday following Nov. 1.” In case you weren’t aware, in Church history, there were once three feast days rolled up into one, but each with distinction: October 31—Known as All Hallow’s Eve. And yes, the word ‘Halloween’ means the same thing. Night before All Saints (also called All Hallows or Holies). Think of the phrase “Hallowed be they name”. A time to remember God’s triumph over evil and death and to poke fun at it with cheesy ghosts and pumpkins. November 1—All Saints’ (Hallows). The day to celebrate those Christians who lived exemplary lives of faith and virtue. These are our extended family, the ties to which do not fully break even at death. November 2--- All Souls’. The day to remember and pray for the faithful departed loved and lost, as we and they await the day of resurrection when death’s defeat will be complete, and we all enter the redeemed new Heavens and new Earth. First, the ‘blessed are’ phrasing was common in many religions of the day, in Greek, Egyptian, and Jewish literature. It can mean happy, fortunate, or favored by God. ‘Favored by God’ appears to be the best translation. Who are the favored of God? Who is Jesus’ audience? Matthew says it is the disciples who wait for Jesus to sit down, then they come to him. That means that we are also being addressed as Jesus’ present-day disciples. We are the favored of God, even when we are not able to recognize it. In a sense, we are bundled with Mary who says in Luke that she is that God “has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. From this day all generations shall call me blessed.” It’s like saying, because I have been favored to bear the Son of God, the generations to come will also see it that way. The first blessing is for those who are beggars, who are poor. Jesus never degrades the poor. The poor are honored. He tells his disciples to just go with one coat and a stuff. Travel lightly. The poor in spirit are humble and teachable. The second blessing says that those who mourn shall be comforted. Even Mary goes through the sorrows experienced by other humans as we go through life for example her loss of her husband Joseph and son, Jesus. In the generations to come, many families have been wiped out by plague or other illnesses. It also looks ahead to when the women would be preparing Jesus for burial and the rites of mourning. And joy comes when they see that he has risen from the dead! The third blessing is “Blessed are the meek.” Meek does not mean weak but also is inclusive of strength. They are not putting on airs, do not see themselves as self-important, but are considerate of others and humble. The fourth beatitude is about being in right relationship with God. That is the definition of righteousness. To seek and follow where God is leading them. It means taking care to interact and relate to people and the created order in a manner that nourishes and sustains them. The fifth blessing is for those who show mercy to others. It is assuring them that God will show mercy in return. This seems to be related to when Jesus was teaching his disciples how to pray. Showing mercy allows another person to grow to maturity. It helps foster a climate of being given a second chance, just as God gives us even more than a second chance. The sixth blessing is the promise to see God face to face, something that is denied even to faithful prophets. The pure of heart are those who have not sworn falsely nor been idolaters (gone to other gods). The seventh beatitude, those who do as Jesus does and follow his ways of forgiveness and reconciliation share in the same intimate relationship with God as Jesus. The eighth relates to the fourth one. Jesus tells his disciples what types of persecution they will suffer. He also promises that God will reign, the disciples will have the reward of the kingdom of heaven. In the ninth, Jesus tells the disciples that they will suffer from verbal abuse. They are assured their reward is in the kingdom to come and therefore, are to find joy in the middle of many trials. It will be a ministry of rejection. Jesus is telling us that to truly follow him will not be easy, but at the same time, it will be rewarding. We are to keep our courage and keep going. Jesus is always at our side to comfort and bless. As we think about the saints that have gone before us, may we remember most their faithfulness and how they kept their eyes on Jesus, moving forward, not turning back. May we also follow in their footsteps. An Episcopal Dictionary of the Church, Armentrout et al., Church Publishing Incorporated, 2000. The Gospel According to Matthew, Barbara E. Reid, OP, Liturgical Press, 2005.