Good Shepherd e-news

Dearly Beloved,

Have you ever wondered what, exactly, is a saint? Are they halo-clad figures in heaven? Are they people who do a lot of good in society? Are they the heroes of the biblical narratives? As we celebrate All Saints Day, it's a good question to ask!

There are "official" saints, recognized by the church throughout history, for their particularly selfless and holy lives, dedicated to God and to people. Examples would be St. Augustine or St. Mother Teresa or St. Francis. Rightfully so are these persons declared "Saints" by the Church, and we should follow their examples. But there's a broader definition of the word "saint" too. In the Bible, the word saint comes from a Greek word meaning, "set apart for God" or "set apart by God." It's where we get words like "holy", "sanctified", and "purified". In Scripture, anyone who has called on Jesus for the forgiveness of sins and been united to Him in baptism is a saint.

It's important not to confuse "saints" with "good persons." A good person is not always a saint, because it's only by the blood of Jesus that we can be forgiven, sanctified, set apart for God. And this may surprise you, but a saint is not always a "good person!" For instance, the church in Corinth was full of divisive, greedy, sexually immoral people, but Paul still addresses them as "sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints" (1 Cor. 1:2) before he goes on to address the issues of sin and immorality in their midst. These are a people who have been forgiven and redeemed, but who still have a long way to go before they are the people God desires to transform them into. But...saints nonetheless!

But being a saint, being sanctified, is about more than moral innocence or overcoming sin. To be a saint is to share in the person and work of Jesus. And thus, it is to be a person called to minister in the most dark and broken places of the world. It is there where the light of the glory of the Gospel will shine through. This is precisely what we see in Jesus' own ministry. He went to the places other religious folks wouldn't go--places considered unclean and off-limits. And when he went to those places, the darkness was scattered by his light!

What a privilege to be a part of this Communion of Saints--dead and living! But the privilege brings with it a new vocation of bringing the light of Jesus Christ to all that is broken, unholy, and in need of God's redemption. Remember: a saint is not just a title, it is a mission!

In Jesus' Name,

Fr. Cameron+