Feast of All Saints & Baptism
“Blessed are you who are poor,
for yours is the kingdom of God.”
Summary
We all admire the saints but do we want to be one? No one would seek to be poor, hungry, excluded, suffering or overlooked, those named blessed by Jesus in Luke 6:20-31. Neither do we really want to love our enemies and do good to those who hate us. In the beatitudes Jesus separates success from virtue. The poor are no longer blamed or shamed for their predicament. More than this, for Jesus, blessing is something transformational: the hungry will be blessed “for they will be filled” and those who weep “for they will laugh”.
The work of transformation is not for a few saintly individuals, it is the task of the whole people of God, the task of all the saints including us. In baptism we become part of a company of saints that reaches across the globe and throughout history. We belong a great cloud of witnesses in whose lives, both ordinary and extraordinary, God is work. On the feast of All Saints we are reminded, again, of who we are and to whom we belong. We are reminded, again, of the task we have received, the task of loving, praying, offering, giving and not withholding, the task of transforming the world so that all God’s children may be blessed.
GOSPEL
Luke 6.20-31
Then he 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 on that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven, for that is how their ancestors treated 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 how their ancestors treated the false prophets.
“But I say to you who are listening: Love your enemies; do good to those who hate you; bless those who curse you; pray for those who mistreat 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 asks of you, and if anyone takes away what is yours, do not ask for it back again. Do to others as you would have them do to you.”
