Our religion is so privatized that we may become uneasy when people talk about their faith in Christ. We rest on our conviction that "we don`t proselytize." Today`s gospel reading has something to say to us about this. Jesus said, "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven; but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my father who is in heaven."

Jesus goes on to say that one who loves someone (or something) more than Him is not worthy of Him. In other words, Jesus wants us to put Him first in our lives. On this day remembering all the saints, we look to them as examples for us. They confessed Christ openly and put Him first in their lives. Those whom we call saints today typically started out as ordinary people, like us. They distinguished themselves because of the fervor of their love for Christ,and of the work of the Holy Spirit in and through them. The saints are those who ran the good race and won, fought the good fight and won.

Today`s epistle reading is one that is offered three times in the liturgical year: on this day, the Sunday before Christmas, and the first Sunday of Lent. It is as if the Church calls us to saintliness throughout the year. St. Paul makes note of those who confessed God, from the prophets of old to martyrs--which means "witnesses"--for Christ: the great cloud of witnesses, and since we have their example, Paul says, "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith..."

It is that "great cloud of witnesses" who pray for us and join us in worship, for in Christ , death is not a carrier. Bishop Gerasimos, of blessed memory, used to tell us in seminary that we should have converse with the saints as if they were our neighbors.

There is another sense of sainthood: one that is not distinguished by extraordinary acts, but one that simply refers to the state of the soul united to God through the operation of the Holy Spirit. "A monk of the Eastern Church" notes, "This state of union exists in every Christian whom sin has not separated from God. Saintliness is therefore a normal state for a Christian, and the call to saintliness is addressed to all."Confessing Christ openly and putting him first in our lives is something we each must continually learn to do; it`s not automatic because of baptism,or communion, or church involvement. Other religious groups know how public confession of faith can be a powerful thing in strengthening one`s commitment. Is it any wonder, then, that many of the successful groups,legitimate or not, have mission work and evangelism at the core of their religious practice. If we are concerned about the religious commitment ofour children, then we must begin with ourselves. After all, our children
do we do, not we tell them to do.

Christianity is not meant to be a "privatized" religion. "Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will acknowledge before my father who is in heaven." With the help of the Holy Spirit, then, may we put Christ first in our lives, and openly acknowledge Him before others.