All Saints

Today is All Saint's Day.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely, and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of our faith, who for the sake of the joy that was set before him endured the cross, disregarding its shame, and has taken his seat at the right hand of the throne of God. - Hebrews 12:1-2

I today's reading, we get an idea who the saints are that we commemorate today.  They are the ones persecuted and killed for their faith.

Yet we are told we do not need to suffer as they did to attain what they attained, since the suffering has been done for us through Christ.

In the Episcopal Church we tend to recognize all the faithful who have died rather than focus on the saints as a distinct group.  Perhaps we like to think of all of the followers of Christ as saintly, and that may not be a bad thing.

Yet we think of saints as special people who sacrificed a great deal, performing miraculous deeds with God's help.  Surely we cannot all do that, could we?

Would we want to?

The miracles would be nice, but the torment and sacrifice most of us would rather do without.

There are some people, though, who we look upon as saints, or at least as close to saints as we may ever encounter.  What is it about them that we see as different?

Is it the good they do?  Is it the way they deal with pain and difficulties in life?

Most likely it is the sacrifice they make for others, the way they go out of their way to help people in need.

We can all do that, right?

I guess we could be saints if we choose to. 

Now, where shall we start?

More to come...