They Are In Peace
ALL SAINTS’ DAY
Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints' in which we remember the holy men and women who went before us: the Apostles, prophets, martyrs, virgins, so many holy men and women… the famous as well as the faceless who persevered in this life until the very end, those, in the words of Jesus in his Revelation to St. John, who overcame the world, sin, and the Devil.
It is also a day of many emotions as we remember our loved ones who presently are asleep in Christ: those Christians who departed this life in the faith and fear of the Lord, many of whom we will remember this morning at the altar of our Lord. All Saints' remembrances stir up memories of those we've laid to rest, a bittersweet mix of sorrow intermingles with joy knowing that though departed from us now our loved ones are in the presence of the Lord awaiting the great trumpet blast and the cry of the archangel signaling resurrection day when the bodies of those who have died in Christ shall be reunited with their soul, glorified and unified for eternity with Christ the King.
The Revelation of St. John, the Epistle appointed for this Feast Day, not only transports us to where every faithful Saint now resides but shows our end and aim: the eternal city with Christ, numbered among the great multitude. "I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and peoples, and tongues, stood before the throne…" The final intersection of Heaven and Earth. This is the final resting place of the faithful. And through the mystery of the Holy Eucharist which we celebrate today, our earthbound hearts and minds will be lifted up into that 'otherworld', the good and happy place which at present we cannot see but one day will see. So, my friends, rejoice in knowing not only where your loved ones have gone, but rejoice with them in the hope of our future resurrection and one day being with them and all the Saints.
While St John's Revelation transports and draws us into heaven, collapsing time and space, the Gospel reading tethers us to the ground. For though we may be citizens of heaven according to St. Paul, we are presently in this world, members of the visible church on earth, sinners being redeemed and gathered from every corner of the world into Christ's church: where she nurtures men, women, and children with her scriptures, liturgies, and sacraments until the Lord returns: as St. Paul writes, mother church is "travailing in birth on behalf of her children until Christ be formed in each one" (Gal 4.19).
Until Christ is formed in you and in me. This is the ministry of Holy Mother Church, and it is our work as well: our sanctification. We labor by grace in prayer, in offering ourselves in worship, by serving others, and sharing the good news of the Gospel, and through these, we move nearer and nearer to perfection. You see, a pious and holy life reflects the life of Christ. And so Jesus, the true Moses, ascends a mountain and gives the Law, the Law unto holiness, the Law which brings blessings upon all who follow and lovingly obey his voice.
"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake."
You see, the Lord is showing us the path to holiness, the way of purity, the way of peace, the way of blessing. For this was the way of every Saint who has gone before us, they weren't perfect, but they labored after righteousness through covenant fidelity and the pursuit of virtue. They hungered and thirsted after righteousness, and being pure in heart, they now see God. The sermon on the mount is our path to unification with all the Saints and our Lord Jesus Christ: to be where they are; this is what we should desire and why we should emulate their good examples. All who walk blameless on this earth are moving nearer and nearer to eternal beatitude and blessing.
Today we are being transported up to a great vista to peer, ever so slightly, into that future reward awaiting all the righteous, and thereby are reminded of God's grace and protection in this life, as we struggle against the world, the flesh, and the Devil; persecuted in this life, reviled, and evil spoken against us by men. Yes, we will face tribulation in this mortal life, but my friends hear the words of the heavenly liturgist who says, "Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven." The Lord shall bring us through tribulation, even death. And those who persevere shall be arrayed in a white robe and stand before the throne of God and serve Him night and day in the Temple.
Finally, my beloved, weep not for the dead, for those who have fallen asleep in the Lord, for wisdom tells us that "the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise, they seemed to die: and their departure is taken for misery, And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace" (Wisdom 3:1-3) Amen+
