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Reflection by The Rev'd Dr Deborah Broome

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying,

‘See, the home of God is among mortals.

He will dwell with them;

they will be his peoples,

and God himself will be with them;

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.

Death will be no more;

mourning and crying and pain will be no more,

for the first things have passed away.’

And the one who was seated on the throne said, ‘See, I am making all things new.’ Also he said, ‘Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.’ Then he said to me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.

Revelation 21:1-6a     

 

One of the readings for All Saints Day (1 November) which many parishes will celebrate on Sunday.  We honour those who’ve gone before us in the faith, remembering both well-known “official” saints – the heroes of the faith who are given a day in the Calendar, and are patron saints of parishes or other things – and others who are unknown.  People like St Peter, St Mary the mother of Jesus, St Francis, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and also people like our godparents, our early Sunday School teachers, those who’ve helped grow our faith or been an example to us.  All saints!  There’s real diversity in all this.  There are doctors, teachers, and dishwashers, soldiers and scholars, fathers, mothers, husbands and wives, children and young people (Tarore of Waharoa comes in here).  On All Saints Day the Church looks forward to heaven when all of God’s saints – those of the past, those alive today, and all the folk who will come after us – will be gathered around the throne of God.

 

And “all saints” includes us as well, for every Christian is called to be a saint.  The New Testament tells us clearly that we are all saints – loved by God, healed by God, called by God to live out our faith in our world.  This is where all that diversity is important, because it reminds us there are many different ways to live for a God who is bigger and more creative than we can ever imagine on our own.  A saint is someone trying to live a holy, God-filled life.   A saint isn’t someone who’s got it all sorted out, who’s perfect in every way and never puts a foot wrong.  (Whew!) Being a saint is a work in progress.

A saint is someone who lets us see God.  Like the saints we often see in stained glass windows, saints are people who let the light of Christ shine through, so we can see beyond them to God.  We’ve all known people like that: people who’ve helped us see God, who’ve brought us closer to God.  Who are you thinking of?  Who are your favourite saints?



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