Solemnity of All Saints 2015
Gospel of Matthew 5:1-12A
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land."
I woke up Sunday morning with a pounding headache. My body felt sore from all of the tossing and turning because of the new puppy in the neighborhood. An irresponsible pet owner kept his furry companion on the patio where it barked, whined and howled all Halloween night. Maybe the idea was to mimic the sounds of a wolf to scare non-existent Trick or Treaters. Or, perhaps the owner just had enough of the high pitched yapping so he thought the rest of us might enjoy a puppy Howl-a-Long....
Thanks so much, kind neighbor! Now because of the time change we will need that extra hour of sleep after being up all night! @$!#!
Thank goodness my alarm clock auto resets itself during Daylight Savings because I was an inaugurated member of the walking dead when I did manage to get out of bed on time. I slowly got dressed and then like a premature old lady stepped into into my silver hot wheels beginning the 35 minute commute to my parish. Sadness swelled my heart as I realized I'd be with my parish family only two more Sundays. I will miss everyone at St. Joseph.
As I drove along my thoughtfully planned toll-free route, all the sudden an orange warning light displayed on my car's dash board: !! Tire Pressures Low!! I started to freak out. Why do car issues always happen when nothing is open?? The last thing I need is a flat tire on a brand new car!
Thinking about the tires and not paying attention to my driving I cruised through a yellow light and caught the attention of Mr. Red Light Camera. (More of a source of city revenue than safety. I thought these things were outlawed? Evidently not!) "Flash, flash, flash, Flash" as I drove through the intersection. I felt like the paparazzi surrounded me... Let's take pictures of cranky Jen and later we will interview her and see how she likes that $75 ticket in the mail!
Uh... All Saints Day morning not going so well. JESUS take me away!
I arrived to the church safely and transplanted a smiling face on my frustrated head. My analytical mind couldn't stop thinking about a "solution" to my tire problem. Where can I fill up my nitrogen tires? No gas stations offer nitrogen and dealerships are closed. Then I remembered Costco Tire Service Center uses nitrogen inflation only and they open on Sundays. Tension relief at last! I can fix the tire problem in a jiffy.
Despite a rough Sunday morning, I found the mass liturgy soothing. I imagined all of my favorite Saints sitting with us in the pews. Some prayed and others sang. Some whispered to one another while others read the Missalette. I wondered if I could ever be a Saint like these beautiful people from times past. Sadly, I doubt I will reach sainthood. I am too emotional, nervous, judgmental, and jealous. I think the worse of people and situations sometimes to the point of mistrust. I fail as a human being over and over again. Plus, it's not like I write brilliant tomes on theology, minister to the poor, or wear the stigmata. I am limited in my capabilities. However, I should never lose hope. Keep striving to be saintly in my thoughts, actions, words and deeds.
When we feel pessimistic, we should "fall back" on the Beatitudes. Read them and think, "How can I be more meek and humble? How can I become more poor in spirit instead of arrogant and impatient? How can I be a better child of God?"
Comforting to know that God always watches and keeps us safe. I am thankful to be able to fall back on the Beatitudes when life gets challenging and a little freaky. The Beatitudes provide us with a guide to living wisely that many of us forget about. With Advent coming upon us soon, I challenge my readers to pray with the Beatitudes and think of ways to live them out to the fullest.
"Keep in mind that our community is not
composed of those who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become
saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures."
-Blessed Mother Theresa of Calcutta
-J.
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