For all the saints

Saints know their place.

As we move towards the end of October we approach All Hallows Eve and All Saints days. How would you define a saint? In its most basic sense, a saint is a “holy one,” someone who is set apart for God's special purposes. As a result, every follower of Jesus Christ is a saint.

The late great German-born American Jewish rationalist intellectual, popular lecturer and writer, religious leader, and social reformer, Felix Adler (1851 - 1933), starts things off well when he said, "The hero is one who kindles a great light in the world, who sets up blazing torches in the dark streets of life for women and, men to see by! The saint is the person who walks through the dark paths of the world, as a light!"

Jesus encouraged his followers to Matthew 5:15-16 “Don’t hide your light! Let it shine for all; let your good deeds glow for all to see, so that they will praise your heavenly Father.”

Jesus seems recklessly confident of our potentialities: he calls us the salt and the light of the world, without whose witness the world will be a different place. Yet, we are always too ready to dismiss the influence our actions can have on others. But the life of the beatitudes gives flavour to our life together, and being a follower of Christ is not an individualistic choice, but one that involves the others.

There is a mere strip of sand called Castle Island near the eastern end of the Bahamas archipelago. Few people are aware of it - and, as tiny and isolated as it is, Castle Island is important for the lighthouse that is its sole source of humanity!

One day, a young man was sailing in the area. He anchored his sailboat off of the lighthouse and swam to shore to exercise his legs on the beach. The lighthouse keeper, Cedric Hanna, was surprised and delighted to have company; he invited the young man to join him for some fresh-caught lobster and a tour of the lighthouse.

The young man climbed the winding staircase to the lantern room at the top of the stairs; and, he was astonished at the size of the light that signalled safe passage through the maze of shoals and reefs! The light was a tiny kerosene flame - barely bright enough to read by - yet, with the aid of mirrors and reflectors, it was visible twenty-five miles out to sea.

Jesus, the Christ, has told us to "Let our light shine!" But, tell me, "even if our light is a very dim or our good works are few and small?" I believe that our little light is magnified in the immense mirror of Almighty God’s Love! I believe that His reflectors are human hearts - spreading the flame of kindness one to another! 

Perfect Light of revelation, as you shone in the life of Jesus, so shine in us and through us, that we may become beacons of truth and compassion, enlightening all creation with deeds of justice and mercy. Amen.