Blessed, Holy, Sanctified
November 2, 2008
Year A
Revelation
1 John
All Saints’ Day
Halloween Experience
Halloween was a very busy day for me. Trick or treating here in the morning. Off to the parade in the afternoon and giving out candy in the evening. Gave away two bags of candy and had a wonderful time. Personally I don’t celebrate holloween. Grew up in a time and a neighborhood where I was told it was not safe to trick or treat. Family members who believed that Halloween was a bad holiday. Witches and goblins are the dominant image of the day – real pagans do not celebrate calendar holidays. Trends in nature. I think the confusion of what is pagan and Christian is unfortunate.
Pagan and Christian Elements
Halloween is truly a Christian based holiday. Hallow’s eve – hallow means holy. Holy means sanctified – just the day before All saints day.
Christmas and Easter
Article in the Wednesday journal which talked about how commercialized Christmas was. Got other religions to slam Christians for having such a worldly holiday. When Christmas truly is a pagan holiday – happens around the winter equinox. Took something that the world already did and purified it or made it holy and dedicated it to God.
Christian pattern to take what is of the world and purify it and make it holy
All throughout history – that had been the goal of Christianity. Not to create a new world – but to make the world we live in a better place, with a better set of values
That is what sanctify means
That is what sanctify means, and why it is important
A saint is a sanctified of holy person.
God’s secret weapon to change the world is God’s people
Vision of revelation
In the book of revelation, John sees a vision of a countless number of people of all different ages, sizes and races. They are all gathered around the throne and they are praising God. They are all dressed in white.
Who are these people in white
John asks who are these people all dressed in white – and the response is that they are the ones who have survived the ordeal and made it to the other side.
Holy people – saints
They are the saint of God – they are holy people.
The purpose of apolcalyptic literature
Look at the context
Revelation is an example of apocalyptic literature. Daniel is also an example. Most of us are afraid of Revelation, we don’t know what it means and we don’t understand it.
In order to interpet apocalytptic literature it is always important to know the context. What is it that the author is trying to address. Usually the piece was written to address a difficult time in history. Christians are in pain and really worried and in pain.
People in pain are asking when will the pain stop – cant think beyond what they are struggling with –
In order for them to hear – time is suspended – so don’t know if they are talking about the past, the present the future
All of which are one for God
Reminder that what we are going through is never our ultimate reality The writer reminds us that no matter where we are in the past, present or future. No matter how bad the situation it is not our ultimate reality. Our ultimate reality is to be in heaven praising God. – We are the ones who will make it through the ordeal and celebrate around the throne.
We have a future beyond all of our pain suffering and unanswered questions
I John also answers the question of who this multitude of people are
They are the children of God
Children and science answers
A group of fifth and sixth graders were asked to write some laws of science. Things that they knew to be true. For instance one said that the law of gravity was that it is no fair to jump up without coming back down. On clouds another child said that water vapors develop in clouds and when they are big enough to be called a drop that is what they do. Another said that when planets run around in circles it is called orbiting, when people run around in circles, they are called crazy. One described genetics is he study of why you should look like your parents, and if you don’t, why you should.
Our faith is the study of why we should look like our heavenly father, and if we don’t, why we should.
To be a saint is to be a child of God, and if we are Godls children. Then the lives we live, should show that we are related to God.
Children look at our parents with wonder and dependence.
When we are children, we look up to our parents with wonder and awe. We expect them to take care of us, but we have no idea of who they do it.
The relationship changes when we become adults
Once we become adults, we learn their secrets to success, and yet they are still our parents. We can do the same things they can do, but we still look up to them.
Who are those saints around the throne
Those who have matured in their faith and now live around the throne of God. Are not God, yet can see the world as God sees it – they have passed on and are not with us.
All Saints day is the day to honor their presence with us. To life up the veil and know they are with God and yet they are still with us. They understand us. We will immediately recognize them when we stand in the same place they do.
We are all saints, all holy, all blessed. Not because of what we have done, but because of how God loves us.
When we see the veil – be the veil so others can see God too. The world is purified through who the saints are for the world.
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