Ordinary saints

Last week many churches celebrated All Saints Day. It’s good to remember that saints are not perfect people who float about doing good, with shining halos like in stained glass windows. Saints are people struggling to follow the way of Jesus, made holy not by their own efforts but by the grace of God – people like us.

This reading is often used for All Saints. In it we hear Jesus challenging his hearers with an unusual list of those who are blessed by God – those we might call saints.

Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. He said:

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

You might like to read the list of those who are blessed again, slowly, with pauses after each line, and see who comes to mind for each one. Just allow a name or a face to come, if it does….

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Blessed are those who mourn

Blessed are the meek
    

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness
    

Blessed are the merciful
    

Blessed are the pure in heart
    

Blessed are the peacemakers
    

Blessed are those who are persecuted    

I wonder any one person especially came to mind as I read those words…

I wonder if one of those beatitudes seems to fit you?

Have a think through them again…

It’s not easy to think of ourselves as saints. A couple of years ago I was in the Cathedral for a special service. The Bishop had very kindly made me an honorary Canon. That definitely didn’t make me a saint! But I did find the service a very moving affirmation of what I have tried to offer over the years.

As I walked in to take my place, the image that came to mind was of a pane of glass in a stained glass window. A pane of glass that was flawed, and uneven, certainly not perfect. But part of a window through which God’s light could still shine – in fact the flaws and defects in the glass were necessary for that light to shine through in the real way that is was meant to.

You might like to bring this into your prayers…

Bring to mind again some of the people who you thought about as you read through the list of those blessed by God…

Loving Lord, we thank you for the people in who you call blessed. Thank you for the ways that your light shines out through their lives.

May the blessing of your life and your love be theirs and be given through them.

Picture a pane of old coloured glass – rough, flawed, with lines and bubbles – and the sun shining through it onto a stone floor…

Loving Lord, we pray for ourselves. We thank you for the ways that we have known your light and your love – and the ways that it has shone out through our lives.

Thank you that your beauty is shown through our flaws and imperfections – that your grace is made known through our weakness.

Help us to trust your work in us and to become more and more open to your love.

Loving Lord, open our eyes to your presence in those we meet, and make us more aware of the saints who are all around us. Lord in your