Monday, October 27, 2008
All Saints Day - Some early thoughts
Next Sunday we are celebrating All Saints Day. It actually lands on Saturday, the day after Halloween. On Halloween children go out with their faces grotesque and monstrous, deformed and hurt. Each one of us is in some way disfigured, imperfect and flawed. The only one who looks at our ugliness and sees beauty is Jesus. When others exclude us, reject us and do not invite us to their parties, Jesus does. When others shun us and turn their backs and reject us and hurt us, Jesus breaks bread with us. When others look at our appearances and are repulsed, Jesus kisses us. This is a wonderful feast for us to look behind the ugliness of the masks we wear – masks of sinfulness and brokenness – and experience the love of God.
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1 comment:
Hi Ann
Great thoughts, but I thought I would go with a reflection based around two experiences I have had this week. Today i played golf with a person who stared his degree with a friend of mine who I first met when we were ordained together in 1973. Both this fellow and i have lost toch with our mutal friend in the last few years, todays conversation though has encouraged me to seek him out again.
Second I have been asked to conduct the funeral of my wife's best friends mother (98). My wife and I met 15 years ago at her frinds son's wedding in the remote Australian outback where I was the parish priest. My wife's friend (Pat) has a sisiter (Kay) who with her daughter (Kerry) knew me through my first wife (they were nurses at the same hospital) when I was at Seminary in the early 70s.
My reflection will talk of the way in which our lives are conected, the different people who have influenced us in our lives. Every encounter is an open possibility to grow and to experience the wonder of God's love and generosity. In the same way there are many pople who we have also encountered and encouraged. It is in the daily encounters we often take for granted that we come to know and experience the Saints of God. Every encounter is a missionary opportunity! The question is "do we make the most of them?"
Every blessing for you to have at encouraged me in my ministry.
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