Year B, All Saints Day, Twenty-Fourth Sunday after Pentecost
November 3, 2024
Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9, Psalm 24, Revelation 21:1-6a, John 11:32-44
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
“Living Among the Saints”
The Very Rev. Kathleen Murray, Rector
Historic Beckford Parish, Mt. Jackson & Woodstock
All Saints’ Day, Year B
November 3, 2024
Some might wonder why this dramatic gospel story of Lazarus appears on All Saints’ Day. Lazarus is undeniably dead, emphasized repeatedly in the text, and Martha’s words underscore the “stench” of death. In the King James Version, this scripture reads, “Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.”
This story, however, begins with words of assurance and memories of love. Martha, Mary, and Lazarus are part of a family whom Jesus profoundly loves. We’re told in verse 36, “See how he loved him.”
Just as Jesus loved Lazarus and Martha, Mary, and Lazarus loved Jesus, so are we called to live the Christian life in love and community. Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were not alone; they had the love of Jesus, who made God’s love known to them through the miracle of Lazarus’s resurrection. In that moment, all present witnessed life, death, and new life unfolding before them.
In the same way, we, too, are never truly alone; just as Lazarus, Martha, and Mary were held in the love of Christ, so are we held within a greater community of faith. We live our lives in connection with others, in a web we call the communion of saints. We place ourselves in the way of love, seeking and serving Christ in one another. Sainthood is not a club for the pious elite; it’s really our collective humanity, brought together by love, faith, and sacrifice. Everyday saints—ordinary people living out their faith in quiet, steady ways—bring God’s love into the world through their acts of kindness, compassion, and perseverance.
As we celebrate All Saints’ Day, we enter the mystery of what it means to belong to God, the communion of saints, and the legacy of faith stretching across centuries. This holy day draws us into the company of those history remembers as saints—and those known only to a few as saints but whose lives equally testify to God’s presence. By recognizing them, we connect not only to the distant past but also to those saints within our own lives—family members, friends, mentors—whose lives have quietly reflected God’s love and grace.
Our readings from the Book of Wisdom, Revelation, and the Gospel of John remind us that saints are deeply embedded in God’s promises and hold a vision for something beyond themselves. The Wisdom of Solomon speaks to the resilience, peace, and enduring hope of the faithful, offering a powerful message for All Saints’ Day. It reassures us that “the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God” and will “shine forth like sparks,” reminding us that the legacy of the saints continues to inspire and guide us forward. This vision of saints rejoicing in God’s presence, liberated from earthly suffering, encourages us to find hope in our own journeys, following the example set by these faithful ones.
In the church’s history, All Saints’ Day emerged as a way to honor not only the saints of the past but also ordinary people whose lives might not have been perfect yet were undeniably faithful. Early Christians chose their saints carefully, selecting only the holiest examples of devotion. Over time, however, the meaning of sainthood expanded—no longer just the exceptional but all who lived in sincere faith, embodying both strength and human struggles. Augustine, Gregory the Great, John Vianney, and Therese of Lisieux all spoke of saints as examples of faith and hope—people who, like us, wrestled with temptation and hardship but kept their hearts turned toward God.
John Vianney was a French-born parish priest known for his priestly and pastoral work, transforming his community and surroundings. He once said, “The saints did not all begin well, but they all ended well.” Therese of Lisieux, often called the Little Flower, said, “Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will and being just what God wants us to be.”
In our Episcopal tradition, we honor saints like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and Pauli Murray—people whose lives bore witness to God’s love in transformative and courageous ways. King’s work for justice and equality reflected a deep faith in the dignity of all people, while Pauli Murray, as a civil rights activist and the first Black woman ordained in the Episcopal Church, exemplified the struggle and hope within sainthood. These saints remind us that our faith calls us to personal devotion and communal justice, healing, and reconciliation. They stand among the ‘great cloud of witnesses’ as models of resilience, urging us toward an active and inclusive faith.
These saints also remind us that sainthood is not a distant ideal; it’s a real and attainable response to God’s love and calling in our lives.
What does this mean for us today? Who belongs in this communion of saints, and how do we determine who is included in our celebration? It is not always a list of extraordinary deeds that makes someone a saint; it is their bond of faith. The saints are those who, through their lives, have become channels of God’s grace and love, known for their trust in something greater.
All Saints’ Day invites us to remember that we are connected to an invisible yet deeply real community, a “great cloud of witnesses” that spans generations and cultures. And this bond stretches into our lives today. Who in our lives reminds us of Christ’s light and love? Who lives out their faith in quiet yet impactful ways?
The saints we celebrate are diverse and reflect every generation, social standing, and nationality. We honor the well-known saints but also the people we know or have known—the names I will read from this list might include a family member or friend, a quiet neighbor, or even a child whose faith taught us something about grace and wonder. The saints include the famous and the forgotten, those the church has formally recognized, and those who simply lived in faith.
These saints, in their daily faithfulness, are living testimonies of God’s work, transforming the world in ways we may not always see but can deeply feel. They embody Christ’s compassion in their workplaces, homes, and communities, healing where there is pain, offering hope where there is despair, and bringing peace where there is division.** Through their unwavering commitment to justice, mercy, and humility, they reveal God’s presence among us and remind us that we are all part of the ongoing work of renewal in Christ. Our faith is alive and active in their hands, continuously re-creating and renewing the world with Christ’s love and grace.
The saints are as much those who challenge us as those who comfort us. In their lives, we see holiness interwoven with humanity, courage alongside doubt, and redemption born of failure. Their example calls us to pursue faith with sincerity and honesty rather than perfection. We are reminded that sainthood does not come from flawlessness but from the courage to return to God repeatedly, even amid life’s hardships. Following their footsteps, we learn that holiness is not about perfection but the resilience to return to God’s love, especially when it feels difficult.
We are called to celebrate all touched by God’s love and, in turn, have sought to share it, even imperfectly. We honor both the famous saints and those whose lives may be known only to a small circle. The heart of All Saints’ Day is the invitation to see ourselves as part of a holy community that spans the ages—a reminder that we are surrounded by the love, guidance, and prayers of those who have gone before us and those who will come after us.
So, may we walk boldly in the path they have blazed, inspired by the saints in glory. May we find the courage to live in faith and compassion, follow God’s love wherever it may lead, and take our place among this great company—not only today but every day of our lives. Finally, may we each become part of God’s ongoing story of love and grace, living as saints for others.