All Saints/ Todos los Santos C + 11.6.22

 

M. Campbell-Langdell

All Santos, Oxnard

(Daniel 7:1–3, 15–18; Salmo/Ps. 149; Efesios/Ephesians 1:11–23; S. Lucas/Luke 6:20–31)

Karen Cushman’s book, Catherine, Called Birdy (1994), has been recently made into a movie on Netflix (Lena Dunham, 2022). The adaptation is problematic due to the scenes of abuse with her father, quite different than I what I recall from the book. La película de Catherine, Called Birdy es un poco problemático porque muestra mucho abuso de su padre, pero lo lindo es que muestra la historia de una joven quien quiere vivir su propia vida en Inglaterra durante la edad media. It shows a spirited young woman who wants to live her own life in Middle Ages England. And every day she writes in her journal, she notes the saint of the day. Cada día ella escribe en su diario y nota el santo del día. Many of the saints die young, gruesome deaths to avoid being married off, which makes her quite worried. Muchos de los santos, especialmente las santas, mueren jóvenes tratando de evitar ser casadas. Pero su letanía de los santos me hizo pensar en los mártires, y en particular a los mártires vivos que he conocido y otros con quienes tras el tiempo he sentido una conexión. Her list of saints made me think of martyrs, and in particular the martyrs I have had a sense of being with.

In Rome, I was in Santa Cecilia’s church and saw the stone sculpture of her form, just as it was, perfectly preserved before it went to dust when her tomb was opened centuries later. Recuerdo la forma de Santa Cecilia, y como su cuerpo fue preservada perfectamente hasta que abrieron su tumba siglos más tarde, y todo disolvió al polvo. But even in the absence of her remains, you could feel in that beautiful church how its patron’s love for music and building Christian community had remained. En su iglesia, su dulce espíritu de compartir el amor de música y construir comunidad cristiana esta preservada.

I have seen living martyrs too. He visto mártires vivos también.

In seminary a group of us went to visit a man who, working to end apartheid in South Africa, had had his hands blown clean off by a package bomb. He had been severely injured but was still working for reconciliation and peace. Conocí a un hombre quien había perdido sus manos en una explosión en África del Sur trabajando por el fin del maltrato de la gente morena allí. A hushed silence surrounded him. Un silencio y respeto le acompañaba.

In college, I met a political scientist from Chile who had been tortured. Conocí a un politólogo quien había sido torturado bajo el régimen de Pinochet. Like any other visiting academic, he spoke and then a group of us took him to dinner. De una manera, la interacción fue normal – el hablo a la Universidad y luego lo llevamos para cenar. Pero en conocerlo vi a alguien quien había resistido al mal, quien había sobrevivido un gran mal. What I saw in him was a determination to live, to resist, in the face of evil. These people helped me see a way past the noise of everyday life. To see what really matters. Ellos me hicieron pensar en lo que realmente importa. They had touched death and returned. Hubieron dado algo de sí mismos a la causa, por su fe en algo más grande de sí mismos. Because of their faith in something bigger than themselves, they had sacrificed something big, almost their lives, and had come back to show us.

And we are grateful. Y estamos agradecidos.

The reading from Hebrews from All Saints Day says this:

“And what more should I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, obtained promises, shut the mouths of lions, quenched raging fire, escaped the edge of the sword, won strength out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

Hubo mujeres que recibieron otra vez con vida a sus familiares muertos. Otros murieron en el tormento, sin aceptar ser liberados, a fin de resucitar a una vida mejor. ³⁶ Otros sufrieron burlas y azotes, y hasta cadenas y cárceles.” (Hebrews 11:32-36)

Y sigue, diciéndonos de las vidas de los santos. And it continues, telling us the stories of the saints. But we know that some saints are ordinary. Algunos santos también son ordinarios. Como cantamos hoy en “I sing a song of the saints of God” por Lesbia Scott. En su canción, dice que ellos no solo vivían en los tiempos del pasado, pero existen hoy.

 “You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
in church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;
for the saints of God are just folk like me,
and I mean to be one too.”
Se puede verlos en la escuela, o en las calles, o en el mar, en la iglesia, o en trenes, o en las tiendas, o tomando su te. ¡Qué manera más ingles de hablar de los santos! Tomando su te. Taking tea, is apparently quite saintly. But the point is, the saints are just folk like us.

We know this. We have a whole table of ordinary and extraordinary saints out in the breezeway. Tenemos nuestros santos en nuestro altar del Dia de los Muertos. And on the table are not all the big-name saints, but the people of faith we have known and loved. En la mesa no son los santos más conocidos pero la gente de fe que nosotros hemos conocido y amado.
These are the people who have carried the light for us in their lifetime. Ellos nos han llevado la luz de fe en sus vidas.

Some of them were poor and have gained the kingdom, whereas some were rich and no doubt have found correction. Algunos lloraron y ahora están riendo. Otros reían, pero ahora saben lo que es el dolor. Some were hungry and are now satisfied, whereas others who always had what they desired have learned about want.

But, each in their own humble way, has taught us something about God. Cada uno nos enseñó algo de Dios. Perhaps through their godly example, and perhaps because in the loss of them we were drawn closer to God. Algunos nos dieron un buen ejemplo de fe, pero otros nos hicieron tan tristes en su perdida, que acercamos a Dios más.

They carried their light. Llevaban su luz de fe. We learned about faith. As we see in this gorgeous picture by John August Swanson. Como vemos en esta imagen tan linda de John August Swanson.

Como escuchamos en Daniel, “el reino será entregado al pueblo del Dios altísimo, y será suyo por toda la eternidad.” As Daniel says, “the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom for ever—for ever and ever.”

None of the holy ones we honor today was perfect. Ninguno fue perfecto – fueron seres humanos. They were human beings.

But each light tells a story. Cada luz nos enseña.

Each light moves us forward in the journey of faith, together. Cada luz nos ilumina un poco mas del camino de la fe.

So, how will you hold up a torch for the next generation? ¿Como van a llevar su luz para la próxima generación? How will you let your light shine? ¿Como dejarán que cualquier destello de fe que tengan, brille? How will you let whatever glimmer of faith you have, shine? Together we make up the river of the people of faith. Movemos adelante, juntos con los santos en la luz, ¡un ejemplo de fe para las generaciones! Amen.