All
Saints Sunday
1John 3:1-3
“Will They See
Jesus?”
The
festival of All Saints, actually set for Nov. 1, is a very ancient Christian
observance. It dates from the
early 600’s. It was originally
a celebration of those who died namelessly in the early persecutions of the
church and thus had no Saint’s Day named for them.
In
the Roman Catholic Church there are all kinds of procedures and rules set up
to decide who is designated a saint, including that three miracles can be
traced to persons praying to the saint-designee.
While Protestants reject the idea of praying to saints and from that
the whole designation system, we do still refer to people as saints and even
sometimes observe certain Saint’s Days.
In
our common life, we have come to use the word “saint” to refer to anyone
who led a particularly good life or whose life touched ours in a positive way.
I’ve even heard “saint” applied to someone who probably wasn’t
a Christian, but who had been a good, kind, giving person – technically, we
might have a problem here though.
The
application of “saint” to a Christian who has done good though fits the
definition of the little girl who when asked what a saint is, looked up to a
stained glass window depicting a disciple and from which gorgeous rays of
colored light flowed. Her answer
was, “A saint is a person the light shines through.”
Thus,
a saint is a person who has seen Jesus and in the seeing Him become someone
who lives a Christ-like life. A
saint is a person who allows the light of Christ’s love to shine through
them to others. A saint is a
person who does good to others, including those who are less than loveable. A
saint might be Mother Teresa caring for the dying street people of
Saints,
whether famous or known only to us become models for us of holy living.
They show us how we too can see Jesus and in seeing Him let the glow
reach out to others.
Joan
Chittister, author and member of the Benedictines of Erie writes,
"For
centuries the church has confronted the human community with role models of
greatness. We call them saints when what we really often mean to say is
'icon,' 'star,' 'hero,' ones so possessed by an internal vision of divine
goodness that they give us a glimpse of the face of God in the center of the
human. They give us a taste of the possibilities of greatness in
ourselves."
— Joan D. Chittister, "A Passion for
Life"
Therefore,
we can grow in faith and discipleship as we consider the lives of the people
we name today in our “Rite of Remembrance.”
We can use them and others we know who are still alive as models for
living out Christ’s love in the world.
Love
is probably the most important characteristic of a saint.
This makes sense since God is love and it is to God’s love saints
respond. Love is a particularly
important word in the letter from John we read today too.
It occurs forty times in five short chapters - about four pages in most
Bibles.
It
is a result of the Father’s love that we are called children of God.
It is because God holds us so dear to Him that He was willing to do
anything – even give His Son’s life – to have us as part of His family.
As
we remember those who have died this year, may we be remember also that they
are saints, not because of what they did in this life, but because of what God
did for them. This is why I am
particularly pleased that Jon and Vicki chose this day for the baptism of
Chloe. It also gave me the idea
of listing among those to be remembered all those who were baptized this year.
Each
became a saint through baptism into Christ, and Chloe will join this vast
company of saints – saints who have gone before, saints who sit in the pews
this morning and saints who are yet to come – when she is received into the
faith in just a few minutes. As
you continue to bring her to the Lord’s house, Jon and Vicki, she will be
able to see the possibilities for living out her sainthood among the many
saints who serve here at
But,
more important perhaps than their example will be your placing in her hands
the Holy Scriptures as you will promise to do in the baptismal rite.
You will do this not just by giving her an NRSV or NIV Bible when
she’s old enough, but by bringing her to Sunday school and church.
Of even greater importance though will be your showing her Jesus
through your own witness and lives.
What you say to her (and to Isaac, of course) and the example you set
for her will help her see Jesus long before she can read a word.
I know you know this and from my association with you I have no doubt
whatsoever that you will keep your promises faithfully.
And
so, we set a day for a special remembrance, a time of memorial for those who
touched our lives and were saints to us, but we use it also as a time to look
forward as we honor Grace, Jade, Isaac and soon Chloe as our newest saints.
May
they be models for us of the love of God as they see Jesus and let His light
shine through them. Amen