Father Gary’s Sermon

Inspired from Matthew 5:1-12

Proclaimed on November 7, 2004

“To Dream the Impossible Dream”--that was the song that was used to introduce the 1994 Heavy Weight Boxing match between champion Michael Moorer and challenger George Foreman. Indeed, the song was half sung and half stated—sort of chanted—by the challenger George Foreman as the coverage for the match was being introduced. Why? Because George Foreman was a former heavy weight champion who had lost the title 20 years before when his rope-a-doping challenger—the verbose Mohammed Ali, surprisingly knocked him out in the 8th round. During those days he was powerfully built and had literally knocked everyone out who dared to step into the ring with him—that is until that day he met Mohammed Ali.

Following that fateful day Foreman entered a dark depression. Not only had he lost the heavy weight title, but also now his life was on the ropes. Then, somehow he heard the voice of our Lord. He accepted the Divine challenge and gave his life to God. He became a preacher of the Gospel and started a new ministry for youth—a ministry that was presently in great need for funding. Now armed with a new purpose, George began boxing again, and renewed his dream for his former title.

Las Vegas placed the odds at 2-1 against George, but it was only this high because of the high hopes. No one really expected him to win. The boxing commission originally would not permit the fight. The 45-year-old roly-poly Foreman was considered too old. Indeed, he had lost the last couple of fights he was in and had not fought in over a year and a half. However, Foreman took his case to court and won. He now had another chance at the prestigious title.

Before the fight began the commentators spoke glibly about the fight. They described Foreman as being more of an entertainer than a fighter. No one spoke of Foreman’s religious conversion. No one spoke of his new purpose in life. The closest anyone came to defending Foreman was his old trainer who tried to dispel the commentators’ jocularity. He shared how Foreman got spooked from the old Ali fight. He noted how Foreman had lost something that night. Now it haunted him. He should not have lost that fight. Now he wanted his championship back.

When the fight began it was obvious that Michael Moorer was also taking him lightly. Though Foreman had always been reputed for his deadly knock out punch with either fist, Moorer continuously stepped in too close to Foreman. He taunted Foreman, encouraging him to throw punches, and then quipped that Foreman punched like a baby.

Then it happened! In the 10th round the Reverend Foreman squarely landed two punches on Moorer’s jaw. Moorer went down like a sack of potatoes and couldn’t get up. George went to his corner and prayed. He prayed the prayer of thanksgiving for he had dreamed the impossible dream and now it had come true.

This too is the significance of our Gospel today. It contains the words of Jesus known as the Beatitudes. Most Bible scholars view this sermon of Christ as the impossible dream for it instructs Christians to live vulnerable lives. Like the TV fight commentators in the Foreman fight, these scholars take these passages lightly, some even making fun of anyone who has seriously tried to live this way.

Back in 1969 the Roman Catholic Church tended to agree with some of these scholars by dropping over 200 names from their list of over 2,500 recognized Saints. The official word about why they were dropped was because there was no proof of their actual existence or they were of local interest only. If the truth were known, some of them may have been dropped because they just seemed too silly. Such included St. Drogo—patron saint of hernias. Or St. Simeon of Stylites—patron saint of pillar sitters, who had sat on a 60’ pillar for 36 years converting the heathens below to Christianity. And then there is St. Nicolas of Myra, patron saint of sailors, pawnbrokers, and brewers, known popularly today as Santa Claus. When one looks over the list of the Church’s official Saints what one clearly views is a group of people who lived their lives thinking and praying, “Maybe someday!”

But this is the significance of this day—All Saints’ Sunday. For all of us in varying degrees dream the impossible dream. Many of us also believe—like the 45-year-old George Foreman—that somewhere along the line maybe we lost something! Something important! Something very basic about our very humanity. All of us, perhaps without a single exception, have dreamed the impossible dream. It’s part of the core of our being. It was enlivened in us at our baptisms. It is something given to us by pure grace. Where we may differ from George Foreman, or those many saints of old (whether we recognize them or not), is how we have pursued these dreams. Let’s just stop and think about it. How many of us here today are actually acting on our dreams? How many of us actually pursue our ideals, believing against all odds that they can be accomplished?

George Foreman’s old trainer, on the eve of that 1994 title fight, stated that Foreman was literally obsessed with his dream. Even though the world taunted him, he only listened to his dream, and followed his dream until it came true. All Saints’ Sunday is a day for dreamers. It is a day to remember the dreamers who have preceded us. It is a day to remember our dreams—dreams of a new world—dreams of a new reality—dreams of living out the Beatitudes of Christ, for these are the stuff of all our dreams no matter how we might envision them.

“To Dream the Impossible Dream”—a great song, a great ideal. The Reverend Foreman regained his crown. To this day he is the oldest person to have worn it. Each of us can gain or regain our crowns as well. All we need to do is to keep the dream before us. Like the Reverend George Foreman we need to always carry the song in our heart (even humming or singing the song from our mouth), “To Dream the Impossible Dream.”

Jesus Christ did. He lived out the beatitudes. Though it cost him his life, today he wears the Crown of Life. Because of him our crowns are assured. While it may not be one of the hymns of the Church, “To Dream the Impossible Dream” is truly the song of Christ, for he now guarantees that when we dream his impossible dream, when we strive to live out the beatitudes, that our dreams will come true, as well. While Christ is the stuff of hard reality, he is also the stuff of dreams. Through his death and resurrection reality and dreams become one. His resurrection, his return from the grave, is our guarantee of ultimate dreams coming true.