RECENT SAINTS
Many years ago, someone told me that every time we bring someone to faith, that person is raised from death to eternal life, so we are engaged in miracles today. I’m not quite sure that is exactly what Jesus had in mind when he said that we would do greater things than he when he returned to the Father, but there is truth within it.

Today is All Saints Day, when we remember all the saints, known and unknown, who have entered heaven. To become a saint in the Roman Catholic church, a person must have lived a life of extraordinary holiness and devotion, and they usually have miracles attributed to them.

This year, two remarkable people have been canonised. Firstly, a young lad called Carlo Acutis. He died aged 15 of Leukaemia, but spent his life documenting Eucharistic miracles on the internet and inspiring young Catholics with his faith and use of technology. A truly modern saint!

The second was Pier Giorgio Frassati. A more traditional saint, he too died young, at 24, from polio. Embodying deep faith and joyful service, he opposed the Fascist regime in Italy in the early 1900s, advocating for the poor and emphasising the church’s teaching on dignity and justice. Thousands of those he had secretly helped attended his funeral.

The church is full of examples of people who have stood up for the poor, marginalised and oppressed throughout history. Not through some self-seeking wish to be glorified by others, but through a deep-seated faith and trust in Jesus. A desire to follow his teaching to do to others as they would have others do for them. To do good to those whom others might consider to be their enemies. As Jesus says in our gospel passage today, if you only do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Anyone can do that.

THE WORLD’S MESSAGE VERSUS JESUS’ MESSAGE
We live in a world where media blasts out the message that we need to protect our boundaries, cutting off people who upset us. We’re urged to walk away from those who don’t bring harmony. Life is too short to waste on others who aren’t prioritising us. If they don’t contact us first, we don’t bother to contact them. It’s all neatly packaged to protect our mental health, to keep us safe. But Jesus in our reading today says ‘No’. This is not what following Jesus is all about. Following Jesus is costly. We need to be counter-cultural and love all people. Not just the ones who make it easy.

At the time of our gospel reading, people are present from many places. Coming to receive healing, they are pressing against Jesus, touching him, healed as his power flows from him. Ignoring the melee, Jesus looks at just his disciples and speaks. A message just for them. An important message he needs them to hear. ‘Blessed are you who are poor… Blessed are you when people hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man.’ But it’s not all good news, he includes a set of woes: ‘Woe to you when everyone speaks well of you, for that is how their ancestors treated the false prophets.’

He knows how much the disciples will suffer when he returns to heaven. From the beginning of his ministry, he started to build them up. Encouraging them with all they will need to keep going in the future. If our Christian life is easy, then we probably aren’t doing it right.

PRAYERS FOR INCREASE IN FAITH
I regularly pray the words we heard this morning, written by Paul in Ephesians, for each of my congregation members. I pray that God our Father would reveal Himself to us so that we would know him better. Paul tells us why this is so important – that we would come to know the riches of his inheritance and his great power. Today, I continue to pray that for you, that in coming to know his power, you continue to use it to stand firm in your faith even when others insult you. That through your practical love of others, even those whom the world chooses not to love, you would be involved in the miracle of sharing your faith with others and leading them to life eternal with Jesus. These are the marks of a true saint.