All Saints
Prayer for the week
God of Glory;
In the splendid diversity of your kingdom we recognise as fellow-citizens all those who worship you today as Creator, Redeemer, and Sustaining Spirit. As we are inspired by the heroines and heroes of our faith, remind us that in your loving reign we are all of equal and inestimable value, and each has our part to play in making real your presence in the world. Amen.
Canon Carol Wardman
Collect for the week
Almighty God,
you have knit together your elect
in one communion and fellowship
in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord:
grant us grace so to follow your blessed saints
in all virtuous and godly living
that we may come to those inexpressible joys
you have prepared for those who truly love you;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
to whom with you and the Holy Spirit,
be the kingdom, the power and the glory,
for ever and ever.
Sunday 1 November 2020
Principal Service:
From its earliest days, the Church has recognised as its foundation stones those heroes of the faith whose lives have excited others to holiness and have assumed a communion with the Church on earth and the Church in heaven.
Celebrating the feast of All Saints’ began in the fourth century. At first, it was observed on the Sunday after the feast of Pentecost; this was to link the disciples who received the gift of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, the ‘foundation of the Church, with those who were martyrs, giving their lives as witnesses for the faith. In the eighth century, a pope dedicated a chapel to All Saints in St Peter’s at Rome on 1st November. Within a century, this day was observed in England and Ireland as All Saints’ Day.
Hagiography from Exciting Holiness by Brother Tristam SSF
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