All Saints (Memorial) Sunday – 2 Nov 2014
Meadow Lea
Matthew 5: 1-12
It’s All Saints Sunday. Who among us here thinks they might be a saint? (show of
hands). Who thinks they are probably not ready for sainthood? (put hand up) Okay then,
it's unanimous.
Driving in the car this week, I was listening to a story about people in the second
category; that is, “not ready for sainthood”. The article was featured on THE CURRENT,
with CBC Radio; and Anna-Maria Tremonti was interviewing a lady named Emily May,
on the topic of “street harassment”.
Street harassment is the generic term used for what happens when a female
walks down the street, and gets heckled, or approached on the street, and has to listen
to unwelcome remarks made to her by males. Emily May was speaking on behalf of an
organization called Hollaback, which encourages women to fight street harassment.
This week, her organization put out a video which had captured what some
women have to endure. The organization hired an actress, dressed in a T-shirt and
jeans, to walk around New York City. The actress was discretely videotaped as she
strolled along; and the conversation was recorded. It was an all-day job, ten hours. By
the end of the day, the actress had been harassed more than 100 times. Yes, you heard
me correctly. Some of the video is available on line, if you’d like to look at it. It’s not for
the faint of heart. To make matters worse, shortly after the video was released, the
actress in the video began receiving rape threats from the males who had been
videotaped.
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Street harassment is hardly a new problem, but it’s not just about wolf whistles
anymore. There’s a threatening edge, an edge of violence toward women which is out
there now. Universities, hospitals, and restaurants which are open late at night have
had to institute Safe Walk programs, so that female employees who are making their
way home late at night, can feel secure about getting to their bus stop, or getting home.
Heather’s daughter Lindsey manages a bar on Pembina; and she leaves the premises
about 3 AM in the morning. She lives directly across the street from the bar – maybe
500 yards; and even in that short distance, she is often followed home and spoken to by
males. Unbelievable.
In Nigeria, Some 276 girls and young women were kidnapped on April 15 from a
boarding school. Dozens escaped on their own in the first couple of days, but for
months now, 219 girls have remained missing. Yesterday, the leader of Boko Haram
told the world that those 219 kidnapped schoolgirls have all been converted to Islam
and married off, dashing hopes for their freedom. They were sold for $12 each.
Then of course this week, there was the whole sensational story which emerged
about CBC dropping Jian Ghomeshi, for alleged violence against women. We won’t get
into that here. Let’s just say that Jian will probably not be considered for sainthood
either. But maybe that’s the case for all of us.
Sometimes we learn what is good, by recognizing what is bad.
Today’s lesson from Matthew 5 gives us a better understanding of sainthood.
The Sermon on the Mount begins with sayings of Jesus that are well known to us - The
Beatitudes, or "The Blesseds". They have even been quoted in the movie, the Life of
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Brian. I think Monty Python adds a few new Beatitudes – Blessed are the Greeks; and
Blessed are the Cheesemakers.
When you look at these nine sayings, about who is blessed, you realize that the
Beatitudes tell us more about God, than they do about the characteristics of saints.
Jesus encourages the disciples by reminding them of God’s character. Listen to this:
Blessed are you who are poor in spirit, for God will give you the Kingdom.
Blessed are you who mourn, for God will comfort you.
Blessed are you who are merciful, for God will show mercy to you.
And this one…Blessed are you who are pure in heart, for you will see God. We
all want to be in that number, when the saints come marching in! How do we get there?
Well, the Hebrew word Jesus uses here for “blessed” literally means, “on the
right road”. So Jesus is really saying something like, You are on the right road, when
you are poor in spirit. You are on the right road, when you are pure in heart. I for one
like that sense better, because if I’m on the road, I’m not there yet.
I’m on my way. I’m just not there yet.
That fits better with the stories of Christian heroes – the saints. Here’s the truth:
those folks didn’t start out as saints. In 1922, Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was a poor
Macedonian twelve year old in a parish school. In 1948, she was the 38 year old
Principal of a Catholic High School in Calcutta. 31 years later she accepted the Nobel
Peace Prize as Mother Teresa of Calcutta; and 14 years after that, Pope John Paul II
named her Saint Teresa.
Alfred Bessette was born in 1845, in Saint-Gregoire QC, and was orphaned
when he was 12 years old. Orphaned at a young age, a lay person without a real
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education, and a Canadian, Brother Andre was recognized as a saint in 2010. There’s
hope for you and me, because God has always been full of surprises.
How we grow in holiness is not an easy question. But learning from those who
came before us, and lived a faithful life is critical. A minister who was trying to persuade
a class of boys about the importance of holiness, of living the Christian life, asked the
class: "Why do people call me a Christian?" After a moment, one lad said, "Maybe it’s
because they don’t know you."
We all struggle to lead a saintly life; to live the way God wants us to live. We’re
not there yet. But we shouldn't despair! Because we’re on the road.
The good news is that God has given us individuals in our families, in our
churches, in our communities, who have gone before us on that road. And they have
given us a glimpse into God’s heart, God’s presence. Those who have gone before us
reassure us that, one day, we will all be farther along the road. One day, we will be
where they are, in the nearer presence of God.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Amen.
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