Sunday Worship
Welcome to Sunday Worship in Leesfield Parish on the Fourth Sunday before Advent. Our Church Services this morning are at the usual times of 9.15 at St Agnes' and 11.15 at St Thomas'.
If you are inable to be with us in person, you will find resources below to worship at home.
Our first hymn this morning is "Ye Holy Angels Bright"
Today's Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
‘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 receive 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 for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
‘Blessed are you when people revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
Reflection
Today we celebrate All Saints day which is also known as All Hallows Day. But have you ever taken a moment to think about what it means and how the feast originated.
Perhaps a good place to start would be with the word Hallows. Depending on which dictionary you use, Hallow means to make something Holy or set it apart or sanctify it. The Saints are those who have gone before us and are considered to be set aside because of their holiness. The word saint comes from the Greek word “hagios” or in Latin, “Sanctus”, which means exactly that - consecrated to God, holy, sacred. ‘All Saints Day’ is therefore a time for Christian believers to remember all saints and martyrs, known and unknown, throughout Christian history.
Remembering saints and martyrs and each year has been a Christian tradition since the 4th century AD, but it wasn't until 609AD that Pope Boniface IV decided to set a day aside to officially remember all martyrs. That is those people who had suffered and died for their faith.
Later, in 837AD, Pope Gregory IV extended the festival to remember all the saints and changed its name to Feast of All Saints. This expanded the scope of sainthood to recognise all people of exceptional holiness and devotion to God. This shift acknowledged that not all saints were martyrs, so a broader commemoration was needed.
As I was thinking about the saints, I realised that there are of course we know quite well like St, John, St. Thomas & St. Agnes and some of the more famous Saints like St. Joan of Arc or St Francis of Assisi might spring to mind. But there are also lots of Saints that are unknown to us but are just as important. Because Sainthood is not just about those recognised or nominated by a group of important religious leaders, sainthood is granted by God Himself - I’ll come back later.
I wonder, what do think about when hear the term Saint? We understand that they are people set apart as Holy but what does that mean and how might we recognise a saint? The reality is, they don’t walk among us with golden halos above their head.
The saints are those whose actions, the way they lived their lives and in some cases died, demonstrate a Christlike way of living that sets an example for us to follow. They point to the way we are called to live as Christians and to build up the body of Christ.
Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians (4:11-12), Christian leaders are called to equip the saints for the work of ministry of building up the body of Christ. But when Paul talks about Christian Leaders, he is not only referring here to ministers and prophets – rather he is calling on everyone to use their spiritual gifts to invite and encourage others to be part of the fellowship of Christ. Part of the Church of God. He is encouraging every believer, including you and me, to grow in spiritual maturity and make disciples of others.
Every one of us is called to follow the examples of the saints and in doing so we are also called to live our lives in a righteous and blessed way, so that when the time comes, we too may have a place with them in the kingdom of heaven.
Now you might be thinking that sainthood is unattainable for the likes of you and I. Unattainable because we all find it impossible to be good all the time and of course we all lapse into sin. But God understands that we are not perfect. And as I mentioned earlier, it is ultimately God who will decide who His saints are.
To be a saint we are not expected to be perfect like Jesus, but we are called to live a life that embodies a transformative relationship with Christ. We are asked to think about the example Jesus and the other saints have given us in the ways we live, think, behave and interact with one another as we go though our daily routines.
In Matthew’s account of the Sermon on the Mount - Jesus describes the blessings, (beatitudes), that God is willing to bestow on us so that we might be transformed and live more righteous lives.
If ever I manage to be pure in heart, it’s a gift from God, and I should be grateful for it; if I have a heart that cares enough about people so much that I mourn for them when they pass away, that’s a gift, too, and I thank God for it.
If we are able to mediate and find peace where there is discord that’s a gift just as much as someone who shows another person mercy.
When we see people living and sharing these gifts from God we are all blessed by their goodness and the positive effect it can have on us and the rest of the world.
If we are willing to accept the gifts God wants to give us, to be righteous and be transformed by the example of Jesus, then we also will be blessed. God reckons as righteous those who believe in Him. The one who raised Christ from the dead. When we are willing to be transformed by Jesus and live our lives with faith and trust in Him, then we too will be called to stand with Jesus and the saints in heaven.
Paul’s letter to the Corinthians [Cor. 1:2], assures us that ‘all followers of Christ are called to be saints’. This assurance comes not from our personal perfection, but from God’s faithfulness, grace and abounding love for us. Because God can make the unattainable – attainable. Rev. Paul
