A short sermon for Matins on All Saints'&Remembrance Sunday
[Mt. 5:13-16]
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.
Salt and light.
What does it mean 'to remember'?
To hark back to the past, honour the saints and martyrs of yore, the fallen comrades of all wars, and be grateful for their teachings, examples and sacrifices?
All that, and it's very important that we set aside special days to give us time, perhaps force ourselves a little, in order to remember.
We can't just take freedom for granted; democracy and justice, dignity and equality are still not universal for all people on this beautiful and shared planet. There's still conflict, war, terrorism.
Religious freedom is still not a universal right for many, including many of our Christian brothers and sisters in various parts of the world; as such the Church still bares martyrs, even in this modern age.
It's the Church's and indeed every Christian's vocation to call out against intolerance, religious extremism, to call out against all that which denies, degrades and destroys any part of Creation, no matter how small or seemingly insignificant.
This is what it means to remember and honour those who have given their lives in the past and are still doing so in their service to all of us, whatever form that service might take.
Remember!, Jesus told the disciples, all of us too, Remember who you are!
Salt and light.
Remember that you were put here for good, for the benefit of others just as yourself, for growth and hope and life! Don't waste it!
Remember that you're here for wholeness and holiness, not just for you but also for the other!
Remember who you are and the unbelievably marvellous and free gifts and talents God has given you and gives you still, so that the World may be a better place where darkness and death no longer have the final say!
Remember your full potential and don't be ashamed of it, don't hide it, don't jealously and selfishly keep it to yourself!
And rejoice in the potential of others too, don't deny it them, don't begrudge it them, they too share this vocation, these free gifts from God!
Salt and light.
Those saints and martyrs of the Church, those men and women who have given their lives and are giving them still, those veterans still suffering the consequences, and all those loved ones, they shared their potential, their gifts with us, shared them for us.
They are true reminders of how God calls each and every one of us to be of service in our own way, great or small, just as Christ served.
Remembering shouldn't be about naive veneration or nostalgia, shouldn't be about glorification or blind nationalism.
It's about recognising those gifts and that potential that others in the past have offered and many are offering still; it's about recognising that we too have gifts to offer, as Christ offered.
It's to honour their God-given talents which they shared; it's about honouring that we too have talents to share, as Christ shared.
It's to acknowledge that Jesus encourages us all to remember who we are and share our salt and light.
And the peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.