ALL SAINTS’ SUNDAY
FIRST READING: Daniel 7.1-3, 15-18
NEW TESTAMENT READING: Ephesians 1.11-end
GOSPEL: Luke 6.20-31
The 1st of November every year is observed by the church as All Saints’ Day. On this day, we remember all the saints of God.
Who are all the saints? There are people those whose lives were marked by extraordinary holiness, in their faith and service and whose lives inspire others to a life of holiness. The Church would confer sainthood upon them and we call them saints.
On this day we also remember the host of martyrs who gave up their lives for the sake of their faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. From the first martyr of the church Stephen, there have been people who have been laying down their lives refusing to denounce their faith in Jesus Christ. This is a ongoing reality as there are parts of the world people are killed for preaching about Jesus, there are Christian communities targeted and killed as well.
Very significantly, we remember St. Paul writing to the church in Rome saying, all those who believe in Jesus Christ are ‘called to be Saints’.
Paul tells us a profound message in his letter to the Ephesians: ‘In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit; this is the pledge of our inheritance towards redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.’
Holiness in life and in service marks the life of a saint or those who are called to a saintly living. We heard from the gospel reading today from Luke’s Gospel, Jesus tells us about the way we can live saintly lives. The way to live a saintly life is to live and serve like Jesus.
The Holiness that we are called to follow is to have the mind of Jesus and live like Jesus who is the fount of holiness.
The holiness that we see in Jesus is the holiness of simple living – to be meek.
The holiness that we see in Jesus is the holiness of compassion for all people.
The holiness that we see in Jesus is the holiness of service, serving people and responding to people in need with healing and restoration of life.
The Holiness of Jesus is the spirit of sacrifice and Jesus defined sacrifice on the cross where he gave up his life to be an atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world.
The give thanks to God for all those whose lives inspire us to live a holy life by surrendering to the will of God.