All Saints

“O blest communion, fellowship divine!

We feebly struggle, they in glory shine;

Yet all are one in thee, for all are thine.

Alleluia, alleluia!” For All the Saints 287 Hymnal 1982

Dear Friends,

While we celebrate being the church and the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, on one Sunday of the year we celebrate that all of us—living, dead, and yet to be born, are saints of God. All Saints is the one major feast day that we are permitted to celebrate not only on the feast day, November 1, but also the Sunday that follows. The festival of all of us as holy ones is that important in the life of the church.

For me it is always a moment to remember who formed me in faith not so much in heroic ways, rather in persistent small ways that showed me what it means to follow Christ in everyday life. Those range from my sister who volunteered to launch the first creation celebration at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Atlanta while she was in her last months of her battle with cancer, to the high school teacher who found me near tears reading his remarks on an essay and saying to me, “ I was harsh on you, and its because you have so much potential to be a truly good writer that I want you to be that writer,” judged, sifted and shown mercy in one step.

We are all holy ones with enormous potential to show the world the light of Christ’s forgiveness, mercy, encouragement, hope and love. You don’t have to die as martyr to be a saint, we have all the gifts of the Spirit to be one too. This is the day to celebrate that and go be one too.

God’s peace and keeping,

Mary+