Dear Friends,
Today we join with the whole Church as we celebrate the festival of All Saints. The saints are that great company of people of every age, who have chosen, and lived in, and enjoyed, the happiness or the blessing of God, and who continue to do so. Because they have let the spirit of Christ be alive in them, they have shown us glimpses of what God is like. Some of them are known by name to us, but most are not. These are the ones who have lived quiet faithful lives in their own places and times. It is good for us to find out more about some of the saints whom the Church has acknowledged. Their stories can be an encouragement to us as we struggle to live good lives.
The Beatitudes from Luke, that we read today as the Gospel, speak of the character of those who live in this blessing of God. Henri Nouwen suggests that they can also be seen as a self-portrait of Jesus. ‘The whole message of the Gospel is this: become like Jesus. We have his self-portrait. When we keep that in front of our eyes, we will soon learn what it means to follow Jesus and become like him.’
Within this season of remembering the saints, we remember all the faithful departed. We do that particularly on Tuesday, All Souls’ Day, at the two Masses that will be celebrated at S. Michael’s. We know that those with whom we have shared our lives, who gave to us as we to them, and who have now died, are not remote from us. As we once shared bread with them from day to day, still we are as close as ever to them in Christ and his Eucharist.
S. Gregory of Nyssa (c.355–395) used to say that the one thing worthwhile in life is to be a friend of God. The great company of saints whom we celebrate at this time are those whose heroic nature has come from their trust in that friendship. In life and death they have enjoyed being God’s friends, sharing the blessing or happiness of God. Their lives of courage and service and significant witness have flowed from that friendship. We are told that Mother Teresa, that great friend of God and of those left destitute on the streets of Calcutta, would go aside to pray when she was exhausted, and would emerge soon after fresh and radiant. She lived on the vital energy of her friendship with God.
Thank you to all who helped keep the church welcoming for Heritage Week. I have spoken to a couple of the visitors who have been delighted to have called here.
Yesterday your parish representatives attended the Diocesan Synod which had been abandoned on the morning of 4 September. They will report soon on what was achieved.
Enjoy the springtime and the joyful friendship of God and the saints.
May God bless you all.
Fr Peter Williams
