Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
I greet you!
“For all the saints who from their labors rest, Who thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest. Alleluia! Alleluia!”(v.1)
Bishop William who wrote this hymn in an effort to bring some inspiration to those who have fought the fight of faith expressed his faith by not looking out for himself, but cared for those who were around him. He cared for the least, last and the lost. He demonstrated his faith by reaching out to the poor and needy, the weak and frail. We observed “All Saints Day” on November 1, as a day to remember those who have died and fought the good fight. In our own tradition, we remember our members of our church and our loved ones who have died in the past year. Though sad, yet remembering, we can still bask in the memory of the happy times they spent with us on this earth. They have laboured hard and now they find their rest.
All Saints points us to express our faith by word and deed to all people in the short time that we have. Hence, if one is to be called a ‘Saint’, then our prospective on how we see our faith playing out in our lives should transcend these earthly glories, and reach to a heavenly realm that even the angels rejoice. The faith to express is a faith which says, “I am not selfish, but selfless.” A faith that says, “Yes, we are of different cultures, religious beliefs or otherwise, yet I can still care and love you.” The Saints that have gone before us demonstrated what true living by faith means and what it means to leave a legacy for future generations. Hebrews 12: 1 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight and the sin that clings so closely and let us run with perseverance the race that is set before us.” Let us be ‘wholly without thought of self” meaning that we should selflessly care for others. On this All Saints Lord’s Day, let us remember all who have gone before us, the persons who have impacted our lives, who cared for us, and who demonstrated their faith. Let us be able to say , “Who Thee by faith before the world confess?” Are we confessing our faith? May we live lives that are not in vain.
“O may thy soldiers, faithful, true, and bold, Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old, And win with them the victor's crown of gold. Alleluia! Alleluia! (v.3)
My brothers and sisters, have a faithful and memorable week,
Your sister in Christ,
Rev. Stacia