Dear Brothers and Sisters,
On Monday, November 1, the church celebrated All Saints, when we rejoiced with all the holy men and women down the ages who have loved and served God in extraordinary ways. Although we have long lists of saints on the various church calendars, we recognize that there are many “quiet” saints, who lived lives of holiness, known to God alone.
On November 2, we celebrated the Feast of All Souls, where we remember those who have died and give thanks for their lives among us. We also pray that God will grant them ongoing rest and joy in the presence of Christ.
These feast days are so important to us, that we continue our awareness of them with special prayers for the entire week, an “octave”. This year, All Saints Sunday comes at the close of the octave—November 7. We will reflect on what it means to be a holy person and also include commemoration of those who have gone before, some of whom, no doubt are those quiet saints.
The saintly celebration continues into next week, when we will rejoice with our patron saint, Margaret of Scotland. We hope that many of you will be able to join us in person when Mo. Lexa Shallcross and Fr. Dick and Sue Ditterline will return to help make it a homecoming. If you are unable to be here in person, please be sure to be with us online.
It’s hard to overestimate the power that the saints have in the world. Many of them have changed the tides of history. I’m remembering people like Margaret, who led a wild and woolly king and his kingdom to follow a more Christian way of life. And of people like Martin Luther King, who spurred our own nation into action on behalf of civil rights. Think of the martyrs who have died for the sake of the Gospel, like Stephen, the first martyr. But think even more of the blessed ones who have lived such lives of prayer, holiness and service that their light has touched the people around them and brought them closer to Christ.
And remember that we are ALL called to be saints, each in the way that God has set down for us. In the words of the old hymn that we’ll be singing, “The saints of God are just folk like me.”
All Saints blessings to you!
Mo. Laura