Daily Devotion for November 1, 2006
For ALL the Saints
And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. Ephesians 6:18
Today in the Church Calendar is All Saints Day! All Saints Day is the Church's Memorial Day, a time to remember those who have died in the faith of Christ. It is traditionally celebrated on November 1, but may be observed on the first Sunday in November instead. For Protestants we understand that in the strict sense of the word this is a festival day in honor of the grace of Christ. In the classical tradition the calendar was divided into two patterns, the dominical cycle and the sanctoral cycle. The dominical cycle included all Sundays and other days of the year which celebrated and recalled the major events in the life of our Lord (hence "dominical"). The sanctoral cycle emerged as the Church sought to remember the witness of particular saints, especially martyrs, on the day of their death (their heavenly birthday). Gradually, however, the popularity of saints days tended to crowd out the days of the dominical cycle as the number of saints to be remembered grew. By the time of the Reformation only the most major of the days in the dominical cycle were not displaced by one of the saints, and so the reaction was to get rid of saints days altogether. Four hundred years later there is a growing appreciation of the witness of the saints and the appropriateness of remembering them on certain days. We are celebrating what Christ has done in and through the witness of us, the saints, through the ages.
Today in the Church Calendar is All Saints Day! All Saints Day is the Church's Memorial Day, a time to remember those who have died in the faith of Christ. It is traditionally celebrated on November 1, but may be observed on the first Sunday in November instead. For Protestants we understand that in the strict sense of the word this is a festival day in honor of the grace of Christ. In the classical tradition the calendar was divided into two patterns, the dominical cycle and the sanctoral cycle. The dominical cycle included all Sundays and other days of the year which celebrated and recalled the major events in the life of our Lord (hence "dominical"). The sanctoral cycle emerged as the Church sought to remember the witness of particular saints, especially martyrs, on the day of their death (their heavenly birthday). Gradually, however, the popularity of saints days tended to crowd out the days of the dominical cycle as the number of saints to be remembered grew. By the time of the Reformation only the most major of the days in the dominical cycle were not displaced by one of the saints, and so the reaction was to get rid of saints days altogether. Four hundred years later there is a growing appreciation of the witness of the saints and the appropriateness of remembering them on certain days. We are celebrating what Christ has done in and through the witness of us, the saints, through the ages.
The color white is appropriate for today, as is the celebration of Holy Communion. This can also be an opportunity to explore the meaning of the creedal term "the communion of saints" in relation to the words of the Eucharistic preface, ...Therefore with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven we laud and magnify your glorious name...". The names of those who have died since the previous All Saints service may be read and remembered as part of the service.
The New Testament calls all baptized Christians 'saints,' hagioi, holy ones. Even in writing to the Corinthians, whom he has to castigate for the worst possible moral offenses, Paul can call them 'saints.' Their sanctity is not a moral achievement, not even the complete triumph of grace, but rests on their having been made objectively holy by baptism. Therefore the administration of Holy Baptism is particularly appropriate for today, since in baptism we make new saints, in keeping with the New Testament's understanding of the word. Do you remember your baptism each and every day?
As we remember those saints who have gone before, so we also rejoice in God's provision that the gospel will not be left without witness as others are added to the apostolic company.
As we remember those saints who have gone before, so we also rejoice in God's provision that the gospel will not be left without witness as others are added to the apostolic company.
Prayer
"For All Thy Saints, O Lord"
by Richard Mant, 1776-1848
"For All Thy Saints, O Lord"
by Richard Mant, 1776-1848
1. For all Thy saints, O Lord,
Who strove in Thee to live,
Who followed Thee, obeyed, adored,
Our grateful hymn receive.
Who strove in Thee to live,
Who followed Thee, obeyed, adored,
Our grateful hymn receive.
2. For all Thy saints, O Lord,
Who strove in Thee to die,
Who counted Thee their great Reward,
Accept our thankful cry.
Who strove in Thee to die,
Who counted Thee their great Reward,
Accept our thankful cry.
3.They all in life and death,
With Thee, their Lord, in view,
Learned from Thy Holy Spirit's breath
To suffer and to do.
With Thee, their Lord, in view,
Learned from Thy Holy Spirit's breath
To suffer and to do.
4. For this Thy name we bless
And humbly pray that we
May follow them in holiness
And live and die in Thee.
And humbly pray that we
May follow them in holiness
And live and die in Thee.
The Lutheran Hymnal
Hymn #468
Text: Rev. 7:15
Author: Richard Mant, 1837, cento
Composer: William H. Monk, 1861
Tune: "Energy"
Did someone send you this Devotion? Would you like to receive future ones directly? Click here to subscribe.
Want to learn more about the Bible Jesus used – The Old Testament – and the Bible Jesus taught? Enroll today in Word Among Us – Cover to Cover study of the Bible starting in Genesis and going through Revelation including the inter - testamental period, using history and archeology and Biblical culture to make the text alive - taught by Tim Hetzner.
Class sites are across the USA. Click here for more information.
| Tim Hetzner - President - Lutheran Church Charities | ||
 | 333 W. Lake Street, Addison, Illinois 60101 | |
| (866) 455-6466 • Fax: (866) 451-1476 | ||
| Web Site: lcc.LutheranChurchCharities.org | ||
| E-Mail: TimHetzner@LutheranChurchCharities.org | ||
| At the end of the day. . . Making A Difference | ||
posted by Lutheran Church Charities at 4:06 AM
0 Comments:
Post a Comment
<< Home