аЯрЁБс > ўџ 2 4 ўџџџ 1 џџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџџьЅС @ №П э bjbjУ.У. "$ ЁD ЁD э џџ џџ џџ N N N N N N N b ъ ъ ъ ъ ў b Ж ! ! ! ! ! ! $ V R Ј E N w w w E N N Z w F N N w N N J4аЦ ъ Н . p 0 B ы B b b N N N N Д B N П ` ^ ј L D 3 E E b b D І D b b І Sermon Archive of The Most Rev. John T. Cahoon, Jr.Metropolitan, Anglican Catholic Church October 31, 1999, Trinity XXII and Christ the King The Gospel for the Twenty-Second Sunday after Trinity begins with a question St. Peter asks Jesus, "If somebody does something to me over and over again, how many times do I have to forgive him? Do I have to do it as many as seven times?" Peter obviously thinks that if he were to forgive somebody seven times, it would represent a superhuman effort for which he should be congratulated extravagantly. Jesus tells him, "You don't have to forgive seven times, you have to forgive seventy times seven times." Biblical literalists need to be wary at this point. Jesus does not mean that when someone has done something to you for the four hundred and ninety-first time, you are free to start withholding your forgiveness. The responsibility to forgive other people has no limitations. God forgives us without limitations, because Jesus died for us. We are to forgive others without limitations, because Jesus died for us. Those ideas are at the core of the Christian religion. What comes into your mind when you hear the word "saint?" To many people a saint is a person who puts up with someone or something that is more than they would be willing to handle. "She is an absolute saint to put up with that impossible man." "He is an absolute saint to put up with that impossible boss." To others, the word "saint" conjures up a person who is not quite of this world, and extremely churchy, and who probably lived back in the old days. If we happened to run into such a person, we would try to be respectful, but religious fanatics are always slightly embarrassing, and we'd rather no one thought to put us in any such category. But a saint in the New Testament sense and, indeed, in the All Saints' Day sense - is simply a baptized person. So, with no exceptions I know about, everybody here is a saint. The word "saint" is connected to the Latin word "sanctus," which means "holy." "Holy" means "set apart," or "differentiated." The respect in which Christians are "holy," "set apart," and "differentiated" is not that we are necessarily better behaved than other people, and it is not that we are necessarily smarter than other people, and it is certainly not that we are more pious and holier-than-thou than other people. We are set apart because we are forgiven seventy times seventy times seven times and a few times more when necessary. On All Saints' Day we celebrate the fact that God ties all us baptized and forgiven people into a community which goes beyond the limits of space and time. The collect's words on this matter are particularly memorable, "(God) hast knit together (his) elect in one communion and fellowship, in the mystical body of (his) son Christ our Lord." We are all in this together from the first century until now, and all over the planet at all times and in all places. And what we are in together is the One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church what the Prayer Book calls, "the blessed company of all faithful people," and, "that body of which Jesus Christ is the head and all baptized people are the members." This church body of which each of us is an organic part is here on earth to do the will of Jesus our head. What Jesus wants is for us to love one another the way he loved us. To love is always to do what is best, and to do what is best is to forgive. St. Paul tells us that God has committed to our hands the ministry of reconciliation. We are saints because God forgives us. We act the way saints are supposed to act when we forgive others. The wonderful hymns and lessons for All Saints' Day raise our thoughts to heaven. Heaven is where we saints whom God has chosen will go at the end of all time and all things. And we shall go there, not because we have been good, but despite the fact that we have not been good, and because Jesus died on the cross to forgive us. St. John tells us that when Jesus first appears in the throne room of God in heaven he is "a lamb as it had been slain" a lamb who was killed and then came back to life. One of the delicious paradoxes of heaven is that we saints will appear before God's throne in white robes, washed not in bleach but in blood, lamb's blood. And then the Lamb will take us forgiven, set apart, washed-in-the-blood saints on a cool and pleasant walk a walk which never needs to end. St. John says, "The Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed (us), and shall lead (us) unto living fountains of waters: and God shall wipe away all tears from (our) eyes." I can hardly wait. The Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, who hast exalted thy beloved Son to be King over all worlds, and hast willed in him to make all things new; mercifully grant that the kindreds of the earth which are wounded and dispersed by sin, may speedily be knit together under his gracious sovereignty who liveth and reigned ith thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 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