Bishop Ezekiel KondoAll Saints Cathedral Khartoum

English Speaking
1st November 2009

All Saints Day

Bible Ref. Isaiah 25:6-9; Revelation 21:1-6; John 11:32-44

Bishop Ezekiel Kondo

1: Introduction:

"We celebrate today the solemnity of all Saints. This invites us to turn our gaze to the immense multitude of those who have already reached the blessed land, and points us on the path that will lead us to that destination." (Pope John Paul ii 2003)

This is the day that we remember and honor all those saints who have lived before us, and who worked very hard to follow Jesus and were able to tell other people about Jesus with enthusiasm and great faith. This reminds us to follow their good steps as we proclaim the Good News of Our Lord Jesus.

2: A banquet for all people: The Lord will dwell with His people:

John in Revelations describes new heaven and new earth because the former earth had passed away. All things are new. The coming of the Kingdom will remove the situation of injustice and oppression that brings about pain, suffering and tears. The old order has passed away: salvation is at hand, it has already begun. The Good News of salvation is not only about life to come, it is about transformation of our present life and of the whole of creation. This salvation means the renewal of all aspects of life beginning here and now. We should recognize that what we do now to transform life is only a beginning. It will be accomplished in the everlasting kingdom. God's presence will bring about the elimination of every evil.

So, Prophet Isaiah describes the Great Feast that will be prepared by God Himself for all people in this way: 6 "And in this mountain, the Lord of hosts will make for all people A feast of choice pieces, A feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of well re-fined wines on the lees. 7 And He will destroy on this mountain the surface of the covering cast over all people, and the veil that is spread over all nations. 8 He will swallow up death for ever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from faces; the rebuke of His people. He will take away from all the earth; for the Lord has spoken. And it will be said in that day: behold, this is our God; we waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord we have waited for Him; we will be glad and rejoice in His salvation."

"And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Rev. 21.4
Brothers and sisters, God has created us for joy and happiness and not for sorrow. However, we must live blameless lives for Him. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in Love." (Eph. 1.3-4) We are saints!

3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven" "How blessed are those who know their need of God" Mtt. 5:3

If there is one thing writ large in the lives of the saints it is that they came to know their need of God. Here is the very heart of the matter - not only for them, but also for us - for Christians in every age - recognition of our deep need of God. "Like as the hart desireth the water brook; so longeth my soul after thee O God."
One of the ways in which so many of the saints are honoured in their search for God is in their studies - saints as scholars; disciples in the school of Christ. They have immersed themselves in the scriptures - in that reflective, digestive reading of the sacred text; that Word of God "sharper than a two-edged sword ... discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart ..."; ...that Word, "which is a lantern unto our feet and a light unto our path".

Saints as signposts for the Church, saints as scholars, and now saints as simpletons - fools for Christ, whose foolishness is the folly of the cross, the scandal of the crucified God. For many of the saints, their style and way of life has itself been a challenge to the Church, let alone their utterances or their silence. David Hope, Archbishop of York 98

As Christians, we should realize our weakness, sinfulness and total need of God to cleanse, guide and strengthen our weakness and our sinfulness.

"If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us, but if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive our sins and cleans us form all unrighteousness." (1John 1:8-9)
"My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.... For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12.9-10)

At the end of Eucharist we use this word: let us go forth, to love and serve the Lord. It is to go with confidence and joy in the name of the risen and living Lord Jesus Christ and ourselves live his risen life.

4. Conclusion:

In this All Saints Day as we commemorate those who have gone before us, may we, with our Archbishop Dr. Daniel Deng Bul, Bishops, Priests, Deacons, and all people of God, let us pray that in the difficult and challenging days ahead we may all be faithful to what our God requires of us: "to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with our God" but also let us know our deep need of God.