Speaking of Saints . . .
Speaking of Saints . . .
“I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” – Psalm 16:2-3
“I say to the LORD, ‘You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.’ As for the saints in the land, they are the excellent ones, in whom is all my delight.” – Psalm 16:2-3
This week brings one of the most important holidays in American culture. At least, that’s what we may be led to believe by the proliferation of advertisements and email coupons counting down the days to Halloween, elaborate yard displays that rival Christmas decorations, and the amount spent on costumes, food, drink and party preparations.
But do we know what it means and how it really started? Traditions that are familiar to us were in place in Europe by the 1500s, but observance of All Hallows Eve goes back to the ancient church. By the fourth century, the early Christians had set aside a day – All Hallows, or All Saints’ Day – to remember and honor all the martyrs, both known and unknown, who had died for the faith. This observance quickly broadened to include all the faithful who had gone on to be with the Lord. In the ancient church, the liturgical celebration began with the vespers service the evening before, on All Hallows E’en.
Many churches in the West observe All Saints’ Day yearly on November 1. It’s a day to remember that we are “surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1), and to thank and praise God for all His faithful ones, those who’ve gone before us and those still with us on earth. Their stories encourage and inspire us in our faith, and are examples for us as we live and walk out our baptisms every day. And it’s a day that reminds us that we are joined with the Church universal across time and across the globe, all part of God’s Story.
So this week, let’s take time to remember and thankfully honor all the saints, the “faithful witnesses,” God has placed in our lives.
All Saints' Day readings (Revised Common Lectionary)
Year A
Revelation 7:9-17
Psalm 34:1-10, 22
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12
Year B
Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm 24
Revelation 21:1-6a
John 11:32-44
Year C
Daniel 7:1-3, 15-18
Psalm 149
Ephesians 1:11-23
Luke 6:20-31
Image information: "The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs." Fra Angelico, 15th century. Public domain; commons.wikipedia.org.
Copyright ©2017 Ellen Koehler. All Rights Reserved.
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