>>Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints. The first qualification to be a saint, you have to be dead.

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I’m very delighted that we are all alive here today, hopefully for many, many more years to come. The gospel beatitudes- and the best way I look at the beatitudes is actually divide the word in two: be dash attitudes. The beatitudes. Be dash attitudes or attitudes of being.

A beautiful line from the new testament, Hebrew, Hebrew’s 3:13. ‘Encourage one another daily while it is still today.’

Beautiful line. Hebrew’s 3:13. ‘Encourage one another daily while it is still today.’

Why do we spend our lives encouraging or discouraging others? So many of us are good at encouraging people. Uplifting. But, so many of us putting others down. Discouraging. Do we spend our days lifting one another up or putting each other down?

Yesterday we celebrated Halloween. I go back to my very first Halloween outfit that I remember, kindergarten. I dressed up as Mr. Magoo.

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The old cartoon character, the older folks certainly remember Mr. Magoo. When I was in first grade I was dressed up as a football player, but it quickly came to an end because as we were leaving the house I tackled my sister going trick-or-treating. So my trick-or-treating didn’t last long that day. But here’s the thing, when we dress up as a character for Halloween we put on the character and we act that way.

All Saints Day today. Becoming saints, putting on Christ. So today, All Saints Day. Tomorrow, All Souls day. Remember all of our loved ones who’ve gone home to God. Please know, there are many, many saints living in our midst today. In our cities. In our neighborhoods.

But always remember this: people don’t care how much you know, but they want to know how much you care.

Jesus will give us strength, not you but him in you.