“Almighty God, you have knit
together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of
your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all
virtuous and godly living. . .” (Book of Common Prayer, p.380)
The above is the Opening Prayer
for the Celebration of “All Saints Day,” celebrated on November 1 or the Sunday
after. The Feast is a sacred time to recognize and celebrate the eternal thread
connecting God’s people to God and one another from the appearance of the first
humans until “the end of the age.”(Matthew 28:20b)
And what does “all virtuous and
Godly living” look like? Jesus’ explanation is recorded in the Gospel of Luke. Jesus
shows us not only what it looks like, but also what it does not look like. He shows us how to live and how not to live if we
are to follow the saints, the people of God, who have gone before us, and if we
are to provide a path to those saints who will follow us.
“Jesus looked up at his
disciples and said: ‘Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of
God. Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. Blessed are
you who weep now, for you will laugh. Blessed are you when people hate you, and
when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man.
Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in
heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets.
But woe to you who are rich, for
you have received your consolation. Woe to you who are full now, for you will
be hungry. Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. Woe to
you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the
false prophets.”(6:20-26)
Luke’s version of the Beatitudes from
what is commonly called the “Sermon on the Plain,” differs from Matthew’s
Sermon on the Mount,” (Mt. 5:1-12) in that the spiritual hunger and poverty and
mourning have become earthly, physical hunger, poverty and mourning. Jesus also
adds the “woe” statements to remind his followers of the results of not
“following the Saints in “all virtuous and Godly living.”
Jesus continues: “But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies,
do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who
abuse you. If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from
anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. Give to
everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for
them again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”(Luke 6:27-31)
I suspect that Jesus’ final challenge to
his listeners, ending with “The Golden Rule,” turned their world upside down
and caused them to question their desire to follow Jesus. I believe today that
if we take this challenge as Jesus’ charge to us, that it will cause us to
question our commitment to Jesus and to God’s people as well. I also believe we
can draw our strength o follow Jesus from that “Great Cloud of Witnesses,”
those Saints of God, who have come before us, who now surround us, and who will
follow us.
What a blessing to be in such good
company on our earthly journey.
