November 1 and 2, 2014
Solemnity of All Saints
Commemoration of All Souls
Today we hear a part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that we refer to as the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are blessings, and they stand out dramatically at the beginning of the Sermon.
On this particular day the crowd gathers as Jesus goes up on a mountain to teach. Sure, Jesus needs to elevate himself to be seen and heard. But there is a more significant reason for his ascent: He is giving a new Torah, a new teaching, in much the same Moses gave God’s teaching from Mount Sinai of old. Jesus’ actions and sayings are intended, in the gospel of Matthew, as a completion of the teachings of Moses.So, the “Thou shalt not” of the old covenant becomes, in Matthew's gospel, “Blessed are you.” Jesus’ message will be articulated in a way that emphasizes the relationships that have always given the biblical covenant its purpose: relationships between God and Israel, relationships among the people themselves, and relationships that characterize Israel in relationship to the world at large. Jesus speaks a language that makes accessible the life of God's covenant. It’s a language that promotes fuller life and greater hope, a language that emphasizes God’s covenant requirement of mercy and righteousness. Jesus is the one to do what was always required of God’s people: to lift up the downtrodden, give strength to the powerless, comfort the afflicted. These “Be-attitudes,” indeed the entire Sermon on the Mount, sets the stage for discipleship and service.
And that is what we celebrate this week: discipleship and service. All Saints Day is about remembering those who in their lives were faithful disciples and servants of God. We remember, too, our beloved who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith, whom we believe (but cannot prove, by canonization) are with God in perfect harmony. We believe that all those who heard and lived the message of today’s Gospel have attained the crown of glory. All Souls Day asks that we pray particularly for those, departed in Christ, who may still be moving toward perfect discipleship and service. We pray that they will soon enjoy full communion with Christ and all the saints.
