November 1, 2006 At Saint Mark Norman, OK
Revelation 7:2-4,9-14 + 1 John 3:1-3 + Matthew 5:1-12
There is no point in observing and celebrating All Saints Day if that observance is all about the past and some holy people of long ago. In my own spirituality, I have ceased thinking of this day as though it was about “them” – saints of our past, heroes long gone. It is shallow and short sighted to think that this is a sort of “collective feast” that makes sure no one is left out. I prefer to think of this day as an annual checkup, an occasion to look within rather than look around or look back. Those who take their physical health seriously have annual checkups, It is suggested that we see our dentist for a check on teeth, and even our cars, get tune-ups and an occasional check of the fluids. ow should it be different for the spiritual side of our lives? The Gospel today reveals the qualifications for holiness. It sets the standards or the marks against which we check our lives. There are standards for blood pressure and blood sugar that get checked. Here in this Gospel are the minimum standards for spiritual health.
Poor in spirit, meek, just, pure, and peaceful are the standards against which we measure our holiness. Being poor in spirit has to do with how we relate to material things. Gospel poverty does not mean that we own nothing, but rather that things do not own us. Those who mourn are blessed not because they mourn, but because they can mourn; meaning they loved someone enough to feel the sorrow of separation. That is a blessing! Being meek does not mean being passive. It means being honest. It means knowing who you are and what you are not. It is a virtue that puts an end to ambition and pride. Cultivating righteousness in the gospel sense means having a passion for justice not for one’s self (self-righteous) but for those who never experience justice. When mercy is found in one’s life, it is always about mercy given, not received. Purity is not necessarily about innocence as much as it is about being purified: it’s more like be5ng “refined” that is to say, cleansed by sacrifice and service. And the truly holy make peace everywhere they go because then never forget that we are all children of God, brothers and sisters in the human family that God has made in His own image and likeness. The peacemaking holy ones see the face of God in every one of God’s children.
So, this is the day, this is the season near the end of the year to check up on things in our souls, and Matthew gives us the check – list because tomorrow’s feast is the grim reminder that if we have not checked ourselves on these things, a judgment time is coming for us all when someone else will, and we know very well what God will be looking for in those called to the eternal banquet.