Sermon for the 2nd of November - Feast of All Saints

Happy All Saints Day. Today, we celebrate people who are amazing in God's eyes – the saints.

What do you think a saint is?....

Some people think saints are just in old stained glass windows. But I like Thomas Merton’s definition, who said: 'To be a saint is to be truly myself.' Not someone else, but the best, true you that God made!"

So, if being a saint is about being the real you, what does that not mean?

• It doesn't mean you have to stop being you and become a different, boring person.

• It doesn't mean you have to be perfect and never make a mistake.

• It doesn't mean you can't have fun or laugh. In fact, many saints had great senses of humour!

What it does mean is being fully alive, loving God, and caring for others

Let’s meet some amazing people who were totally 'themselves' and are now called saints: [ask about the saints before saying anything]

·         St. Francis (Ryan): This guy was originally a rich party animal! Then he realized God was more important and publicly renounced his inheritance by stripping off all his clothes before the Bishop. He famously started the first nativity scene with animals and taught us to care for all creation. He even preached to the birds!

·         St. Dorothy (Patron of Gardeners): (Aoife) A mocker dared her to send him fruit from heaven's garden after her death. Right before she died in winter, an angel showed up with a basket of perfect roses and apples for him!

·         St. Catherine of Alexandria (Patron of Scholars): (Layla) She was super smart. They tried to torture her on a huge spiked wheel, but it shattered the second she touched it. That’s why we call that kind of firework a 'Catherine Wheel'!

·         Perpetua & Felicitas (Mikayla): Two young mums in North Africa. They stayed faithful to God even when facing real danger, showing incredible strength and courage.

·         St. Janani Luwum: (Dorian) Originally a goatherd, he became an Anglican archbishop in Uganda. Working closely with Catholics and Muslims, he stood up for human rights to a brutal dictator (Idi Amin). He was murdered for his bravery, but the government said it was a car crash!

Saints aren't just from long ago. They can be grumpy, funny, and sometimes a bit weird!

-         Like the feisty Teresa of Avila, who prayed, 'Lord, if this is how you treat your friends, it's no wonder you have so few!'

-         Bridget of Ireland, the patron saint of brewers, who once turned her dirty bathwater into beer for priests!

-         Simon the Stylite, who spent 37 years living on top of a 60-foot tall pillar to pray. Don't try that at home!

-         Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr., modern heroes who changed the world, even when they had their own doubts and fears."

These amazing people were just being themselves, loving God, and making a difference.

Who are the saints you have encountered in your lives? Who has shown you something of God’s love, who has inspired you, supported you?

I wonder why this gospel reading was chosen for All Saints Sunday?

·         Jesus is speaking what we call the 'Beatitudes' or blessings….everything starts with blessings.

·         Jesus isn't giving us a list of shoulds or oughts. The starting place isn't a long list of rules; it's simply receiving God's massive blessing, especially when life is hard.

·         Saints are people who want justice, who want peace, who want healing. They know that God’s blessing is for everyone, especially those who are struggling or hurting.

·         Jesus tells us to 'love our enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you.' That's not easy! But when we realize how much God blesses us, we can’t help but share those blessings with others.

·         Saints are people who recognize the abundant stream of God’s blessing and choose to share that blessing, even in difficult circumstances. [Debie Thomas]

Today we remember all the saints who lived their true selves for God—those we have learnt about and those in our own lives – who have inspired us, challenged us and supported us.

They showed us that no matter how difficult life gets—when we mourn, or struggle, or are scared—God is always there, right in the middle of it, giving us hope.

Today, we are all invited to join with the saints… to be fully ourselves, receive God's blessing, and go out and share that blessing with our imperfect, broken world, that we may share in the glorious inheritance God has promised us. Amen