This week in the Season of Creation we are
seeking and celebrating The Saints Among Us and
that gives us an opportunity to intentionally think about and discover what it
means to be a saint. Many of us think of saints only
as extraordinarily special and Godly people, set apart by God for a
special purpose in their lifetime which, if we actually stopped to think about
it, was mostly a very long time ago and far away from my country and my daily
life and times. But what is the definition of a saint?
The word saint is from the Greek, hagios [hagg-ee-ohse], which means
“consecrated to God, holy, sacred, pious." There are those people who have
been given the title of Saint through an official process. There are
some mythical folks who have the title and if only in fiction but their legends
hold great object lessons. And there are the many from far history to our
current day who have done/are doing extraordinary things in God’s name through
great faith and yet have no precise designation. There are many Saints, saints,
and Extraordinaries are listed in church calendars for special remembrance and
honor. For the rest, we have All Saints Day to cover all those
known to God and yet unknown to us, but whose presence in their and our own
times have given us examples to emulate and/or inspire our lives. It is also
important, in my understanding, that Saints/saints are not aware that they are saint-ly
beings. They seem to have less interest in themselves than they do in others
and in what they perceive to be the work that God calls them to do.
Paul says in this piece from Ephesians,
that he prays for us receive a spirit of wisdom and revelation that as
we come to know Christ we may know the hope to which he has called
us. The Psalmist reminds us to give God constant praise from the depth of our
souls and to put our trust only in God.
Saintly living is not
easy work and definitely requires intention, perseverance, and action. Even
when we cultivate a desire for it, we'll experience failed attempts, false
starts, regression, re-programming, and many cycle repeats. Yet we are not
alone. It's helpful for me to keep in mind, that those who are considered
Saints, or at least saintly, would tell you of their many faults and failings,
and even weakness. But hope abounds. They found it. If I seek it I will find it
and nourish it. I'm not working for sainthood but rather that if my faith
remains strong ~ or at least if I want it to ~ I can find and act on some
measure of virtue in my life.
Faith wavers at times for the saintliest.
I allow myself to get lost in earthly distractions, frustrations, and maybe a couple
of vanities a bit too often. But each new day brings fresh opportunity to feel
the power of God in my life along with the companions great and small who are
with me in spirit and in person. The call of Christ guides us always if we turn
toward the hope and help, however unwittingly at times.
My prayer for this day is to keep me in
a peaceful mindset and let me not repay anger with anger, and strife with
strife. Not easy in these unquestionably difficult times. Yet, as the saying
goes: what I give out, I get back. I will struggle but I feel supported in a
strong faith environment that lives with a Christ-purpose, no matter the daily
highs, lows, and challenges. As we work with and for the benefit of God's
Creation in its totality, glory, and grunge, together, we can discover the
hope of our calling. And through Christ we will find the
courage, the strength, and the commitment to truly do for and be with others as
we would have them do for and be with us.
LET
US, GOD’S PEOPLE, PRAY
Leader: ~ O God of Christ, Father of Glory, Maker of
all who are saints and sinners, remind us that as we each differ from one
another in minor ways, in major ways we are the same. According to your wisdom
and your grace, in our differences we are more alike than we are unalike, and
we are to do for and to be with others as we will have done for and with
ourselves.
O Lord of Wisdom and Hope
RESPONSE: Enlighten the eyes of our hearts
~
O God of Christ, Father of Glory, renew us each day
to persevere in prayer and take action to kindle morality in the Leaders of all
governments across Creation. Guide us all to strive for what is noble, to
frustrate the ways of the wicked, and not to repay evil with evil or anger with
anger. We pray especially for: the President, the Vice-President, our
Members of Congress, our Governor, our County Executive, our City Council, and
our Mayor.
O
Lord of Wisdom and Hope
Enlighten
the eyes of our hearts
~
O God of Christ, Father of Glory, deliver from
distress all in anguish from illness of body, mind, or spirit, and infuse those
who give them care with gentleness and love. We now join our hearts to pray for
those in need...
O
Lord of Wisdom and Hope
Enlighten
the eyes of our heart
~
O God of Christ, Father of Glory, bless and comfort
all who mourn, keep us all in the knowledge that the days of joy and gladness
flourish now in the hearts of all who live again in Your Eternal Kingdom. We
pray especially for:
O
Lord of Wisdom and Hope
Enlighten
the eyes of our hearts
~
O God of Christ, Father of Glory, we pause
in this moment to offer You our other heartfelt thanksgivings, intercessions,
petitions, and memorials…
O
Lord of Wisdom and Hope
Enlighten
the eyes of our hearts
~
O God of Christ, Father of Glory, inspire the
hearts and minds of all who lead us in Your church who encourage and remind us
through Word and Sacrament, how to lead lives worthy of the hope and calling
for which we have been created. We pray especially for: Sean, our
Presiding Bishop; Kevin, our Bishop; Patrick, our rector; Lloyd, our Rector
Emeritus; and Cecily our Deacon.
O
Lord of Wisdom and Hope
Enlighten
the eyes of our hearts
The Celebrant adds: God
of us all, guide us to free ourselves from the prison of outrage, the emptiness
of self-importance, and the
mindlessness of earthly privilege. Help us to claim our divine endowment of
hope, grace, and mercy as we strive to live in and through the words of our
Redeemer, Jesus. We ask through Christ, our Risen Lord; in the Unity of the
Holy Spirit, who together with You are One God, above all, through all, and in
all, for ever and ever. Amen.
**https://www.poemist.com/maya-angelou/human-family
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