The Way of the Cross

THE WAY OF THE CROSS

Concerning the Service...

The devotion known as the Way of the Cross is an adaptation to local usage of a custom widely observed by pilgrims to Jerusalem: the offering of prayer at a series of places in that city traditionally associated with our Lord's passion and death.

The number of stations, which at first varied widely, finally became fixed at fourteen. Of these, eight are based directly on events recorded in the Gospels. The remaining six (numbers 3,4,6,7,9, and 13) are based on inferences from the Gospel account or from pious legend.  

This form may be used for private devotion, especially on Fridays in Lent and on Good Friday.

Opening Devotions 

+ In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Lord, have mercy

Christ, have mercy

Lord, have mercy

Our Father, who art in heaven, 

 hallowed be thy Name,

 thy kingdom come,

 thy will be done,

   on earth as it is in heaven. 

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our trespasses,

 as we forgive those

   who trespass against us. 

And lead us not into temptation,

 but deliver us from evil.  Amen.

V. We will glory in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ:

R. In whom is our salvation, our life and resurrection.

Let us pray. (There follows a period of silence.)

Assist us mercifully with your help, O Lord God of our

salvation, that we may enter with joy upon the contemplation

of those mighty acts, whereby you have given us life and

immortality; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

First Station: Jesus is condemned to death

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As soon as it was morning, the chief priests, with the elders

and scribes, and the whole council, held a consultation; and

they bound Jesus and led him away and delivered him to

Pilate. And they all condemned him and said, "He deserves

to die." When Pilate heard these words, he brought Jesus out

and sat down on the judgment seat at a place called the

Pavement, but in the Hebrew, Gabbatha. Then he handed

Jesus over to them to be crucified.

V. God did not spare his own Son:

R. But delivered him up for us all.

Officiant: Let us pray. (Silence)

Almighty God, whose most dear Son went not up to joy but

first he suffered pain, and entered not into glory before he

was crucified: Mercifully grant that we, walking in the way

of the cross, may find it none other than the way of life and

peace; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Second Station: Jesus takes up his Cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Jesus went out, bearing his own cross, to the place called the

place of a skull, which is called in Hebrew, Golgotha.

Although he was a Son, he learned obedience through what

he suffered. Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter; and like

a sheep that before its shearers is mute, so he opened not his

mouth. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, to receive power

and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory

and blessing.

V. The Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all:

R. For the transgression of my people was he stricken.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Almighty God, whose beloved Son willingly endured the

agony and shame of the cross for our redemption: Give us

courage to take up our cross and follow him; who lives and

reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Third Station: Jesus falls the first time

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Christ Jesus, though he was in the form of God, did not

count equality with God a thing to be grasped; but emptied

himself, taking the form of a servant, and was born in

human likeness. And being found in human form he

humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even

death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him,

and bestowed on him the name which is above every name.

Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, and kneel

before the Lord our Maker, for he is the Lord our God.

V. Surely he has borne our griefs:

R. And carried our sorrows.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, you know us to be set in the midst of so many and

great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we

cannot always stand upright: Grant us such strength and

protection as may support us in all dangers, and carry us

through all temptations; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Fourth Station: Jesus meets his afflicted mother

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

To what can I liken you, to what can I compare you, O

daughter of Jerusalem? What likeness can I use to comfort

you, O virgin daughter of Zion? For vast as the sea is your

ruin. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be

comforted. The Lord will be your everlasting light, and your

days of mourning shall be ended.

V. A sword will pierce your own soul also:

R. And fill your heart with bitter pain.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, who willed that in the passion of your Son a sword

of grief should pierce the soul of the Blessed Virgin Mary his

mother: Mercifully grant that your Church, having shared

with her in his passion, may be made worthy to share in the

joys of his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and

ever. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Fifth Station: The Cross is laid on Simon of Cyrene

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

As they led Jesus away, they came upon a man of Cyrene,

Simon by name, who was coming in from the country, and

laid on him the cross to carry it behind Jesus. "If anyone

would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his

cross and follow me. Take my yoke upon you, and learn

from me; for my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."

V. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me:

R. Cannot be my disciple.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Heavenly Father, whose blessed Son came not to be served

but to serve: Bless all who, following in his steps, give

themselves to the service of others; that with wisdom,

patience, and courage, they may minister in his Name to the

suffering, the friendless, and the needy; for the love of him

who laid down his life for us, your Son our Savior Jesus

Christ. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Sixth Station: A woman wipes the face of Jesus

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

We have seen him without beauty or majesty, with no looks

to attract our eyes. He was despised and rejected by men; a

man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from

whom men hide their faces, he was despised, and we

esteemed him not. His appearance was so marred, beyond

human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children

of men. But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was

bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement

that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed.

V. Restore us, O Lord God of hosts:

R. Show the light of your countenance, and we shall

   be saved.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, who before the passion of your only-begotten Son

revealed his glory upon the holy mountain: Grant to us that

we, beholding by faith the light of his countenance, may be

strengthened to bear our cross, and be changed into his

likeness from glory to glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Seventh Station: Jesus falls a second time

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows. All

we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to

his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us

all. He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened

not his mouth. For the transgression of my people was he

stricken.

V. But as for me, I am a worm and no man:

R. Scorned by all and despised by the people.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Almighty and everliving God, in your tender love for the

human race you sent your Son our Savior Jesus Christ to

take upon him our nature, and to suffer death upon the

cross, giving us the example of his great humility: Mercifully

grant that we may walk in the way of his suffering, and also

share in his resurrection; who lives and reigns for ever and

ever. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Eighth Station: Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

There followed after Jesus a great multitude of the people,

and among them were women who bewailed and lamented

him. But Jesus turning to them said, "Daughters of

Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and

for your children."

V. Those who sowed with tears:

R. Will reap with songs of joy.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Teach your Church, O Lord, to mourn the sins of which it is

guilty, and to repent and forsake them; that, by your

pardoning grace, the results of our iniquities may not be

visited upon our children and our children's children;

through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Ninth Station: Jesus falls a third time

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his

wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without

any light. He has besieged me and enveloped me with

bitterness and tribulation; he has made me dwell in darkness

like the dead of long ago. Though I call and cry for help, he

shuts out my prayer. He has made my teeth grind on gravel,

and made me cower in ashes. "Remember, O Lord, my

affliction and bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!"

V. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter:

R. And like a sheep that before its shearers is mute,

   so he opened not his mouth.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, by the passion of your blessed Son you made an

instrument of shameful death to be for us the means of life:

Grant us so to glory in the cross of Christ, that we may

gladly suffer shame and loss for the sake of your Son our

Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Tenth Station: Jesus is stripped of his garments

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

When they came to a place called Golgotha (which means

the place of a skull), they offered him wine to drink, mingled

with gall; but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. And

they divided his garments among them by casting lots. This

was to fulfill the scripture which says, "They divided my

garments among them; they cast lots for my clothing."

V. They gave me gall to eat:

R. And when I was thirsty they gave me vinegar to drink.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior gave his body to be

whipped and his face to be spit upon: Give us grace to accept

joyfully the sufferings of the present time, confident of the

glory that shall be revealed; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Eleventh Station: Jesus is nailed to the Cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

When they came to the place which is called The Skull, there

they crucified him; and with him they crucified two

criminals, one on the right, the other on the left, and Jesus

between them. And the scripture was fulfilled which says,

"He was numbered with the transgressors."

V. They pierce my hands and my feet:

R. They stare and gloat over me.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Lord Jesus Christ, you stretched out your arms of love on

the hard wood of the cross that everyone might come within

the reach of your saving embrace: So clothe us in your Spirit

that we, reaching forth-our hands in love, may bring those

who do not know you to the knowledge and love of you; for

the honor of your Name. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Twelfth Station: Jesus dies on the Cross

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved

standing near, he said to his mother, "Woman, behold your

son!" Then he said to the disciple, "Behold your mother!"

And when Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, "It is

finished!" And then, crying with a loud voice, he said,

"Father, into your hands I commend my spirit." And he

bowed his head, and handed over his spirit.  (Please kneel for a moment of silence.)

V. Christ for us became obedient unto death:

R. Even death on a cross.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, who for our redemption gave your only-begotten

Son to the death of the cross, and by his glorious

resurrection delivered us from the power of our enemy:

Grant us so to die daily to sin, that we may evermore live

with him in the joy of his resurrection; who lives and reigns

now and for ever. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Thirteenth Station: The body of Jesus is placed in the arms

                    of his mother

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

All you who pass by, behold and see if there is any sorrow

like my sorrow. My eyes are spent with weeping; my soul is

in tumult; my heart is poured out in grief because of the

downfall of my people. "Do not call me Naomi (which

means Pleasant), call me Mara (which means Bitter); for the

Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me."

V. Her tears run down her cheeks:

R. And she has none to comfort her.

Let us pray. (Silence)

Lord Jesus Christ, by your death you took away the sting of

death: Grant to us your servants so to follow in faith where

you have led the way, that we may at length fall asleep

peacefully in you and wake up in your likeness; for your

tender mercies' sake. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Fourteenth Station: Jesus is laid in the tomb

We adore you, O Christ, and we bless you:

Because by your holy cross you have redeemed the world.

When it was evening, there came a rich man from

Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of

Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took

the body, and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud, and laid it

in his own new tomb, which he had hewn in the rock; and

he rolled a great stone to the door of the tomb.

V. You will not abandon me to the grave:

R. Nor let your holy One see corruption.

Let us pray. (Silence)

O God, your blessed Son was laid in a tomb in a garden, and

rested on the Sabbath day: Grant that we who have been

buried with him in the waters of baptism may find our

perfect rest in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where he

lives and reigns for ever and ever. Amen.

Holy God,

Holy and Mighty,

Holy Immortal One,

Have mercy upon us.

Concluding Prayers

Savior of the world, by your cross and precious blood you

have redeemed us:

Save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.

Let us pray. (Silence)

We thank you, heavenly Father, that you have delivered us

from the dominion of sin and death and brought us into the

kingdom of your Son; and we pray that, as by his death he

has recalled us to life, so by his love he may raise us to

eternal joys; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of

the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

To Christ our Lord who loves us, and washed us in his own

blood, and made us a kingdom of priests to serve his God

and Father, to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever.

Amen.

(This form of the Way of the Cross is from the Book of Occasional Services)

Spiritual Communion during the season of coronavirus

Spiritual Communion

When unable to attend the Holy Eucharist

During this national health emergency, many people will be advised not to attend public worship; some will have their access to communion in a care center, hospital, or at home disrupted; many churches will be closed for a season. This will lead to a lack of normal sacramental support and communal encouragement.

The Church has long had a way to approach such difficult circumstances which both affirms the centrality of the Eucharist yet also accepts that, in the temporal affairs of humans, our preferred and normative practices may not always be possible.

The Book of Common Prayer reminds us that if one is unable to actually consume the consecrated bread and wine due to extreme sickness or disability, the desire is enough for God to grant all the benefits of communion. When being present at a celebration of the Eucharist is absolutely impossible, this act of prayer and meditation can provide the means by which you can associate yourself with the Eucharistic Action and open yourself to God's grace and blessing.

X     X     X

Blessed be GOD, X Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. And blessed be his kingdom, now and forever. Amen.

Collect

Let the power of the Holy Spirit come upon me, O Lord, I pray you: to cleanse my heart and defend me from all adversities. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Read the following lessons from scripture, or read the appointed lessons for the day

Epistle (Revelation 3:20)

Listen! I am standing at the door, knocking; if you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to you and eat with you, and you with me.

The Gospel (St. John 15:5)

I am the vine, you are the branches. Those who abide in me and I in them bear much fruit, because apart from me you can do nothing.

In your own words, pray for your needs, for those of others, for the peace of the world, and for the Church. After offering these intercessions, continue with the

Act of Contrition

O God, I confess my sin against you, the author of life and giver of all good things, and I humbly repent. Especially, I confess.... Forgive me for Jesus’ sake, and grant me the grace to walk in your ways hereafter. Amen.

Act of Reception

In union, dear Lord with the faithful at every altar of your Church where the Holy Mysteries of your blessed Body and Blood are being celebrated and received (and remembering particularly my own parish and those worshiping there), I long to offer you praise and thanksgiving for creation and for all the blessings of this life, for the redemption won for us by your life, death, and resurrection, for the means of grace and the hope of glory (and particularly for the blessings given me...).

I believe that you are truly present to your people in the Holy Sacrament. And since I cannot now receive you sacramentally, I pray you to come spiritually into my heart. I unite myself to you, and embrace you with all the affection of my soul. Let nothing separate me from you; let me serve you in this life until, by your grace, I come to your glorious kingdom and unending peace. Amen.

    Our Father...

Come Lord Jesus, dwell with your servant in the fullness of your strength, in the perfection of your ways, and in the holiness of your spirit, and rule over every hostile power in the might of the Spirit, and to the glory of the Father. Amen.

The Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ preserve my body and soul unto everlasting life. Amen.

And may the peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep my heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God, and of his Son Jesus Christ my Lord: and the blessing of God Almighty, the Father X the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be with me now and always. Amen.

Act of Praise and Thanksgiving

 X Blessed, praised, hallowed, and adored be Jesus Christ on his high throne of glory in heaven, in the most Holy Sacrament of the altar, and in the hearts of his faithful people. Amen.

                                                                                                               

(Based on various sources, esp. the new St. Augustine's Prayer Book)

The Conversion of St. Paul: Medicine for our own journey

Today is the annual celebration of St. Paul’s conversion. It is also is an occasion to reflect on the Blessed Apostle’s extraordinary story and how it relates to our own. The reading from Philippians appointed in the Daily Office points to the transformation he underwent—one from a certainty in the Law to a certainty in the Love of Christ, which fulfills and transcends the Law of Moses. 

It is this characteristic of total surrender, a desire for complete union with God—of being “in Christ” no matter the cost, which marks St Paul’s thought and writings. It also sets the goal for all Christians in how we approach the struggles and challenges on our own journey. 

Sometimes we allow the distractions and “options” of life to cloud the simple truth we hold: that in us, Christ is gaining victory, and by that victory, we are overcoming the world, sin, and death. We are "new creations." Today is a blessed opportunity to re-affirm the foundation of our life: Jesus Christ crucified, risen, and glorified. All else must flow from this fundamental identity and loyalty.

To aid in this, here is a passage in praise of St. Paul from one of the Early Church’s greatest preachers; in it we see once more the optimism, hope, and strength possible by putting our trust in Christ, and not in this world’s powers or passions. May it fuel renewed courage and clarity in our lives!

Paul, more than anyone else, has shown us what man really is, and in what our nobility consists, and of what virtue this particular animal is capable. Each day he aimed ever higher; each day he rose up with greater ardor and faced with new eagerness the dangers that threatened him. He summed up his attitude in the words: “I forget what is behind me and push on to what lies ahead.” When he saw death imminent, he bade others share his joy: “Rejoice and be glad with me!” And when danger, injustice and abuse threatened, he said: “I am content with weakness, mistreatment and persecution.” These he called the weapons of righteousness, thus telling us that he derived immense profit from them.

Thus, amid the traps set for him by his enemies, with exultant heart he turned their every attack into a victory for himself. Constantly beaten, abused and cursed, he boasted of it as though he were celebrating a triumphal procession and taking trophies home, and offered thanks to God for it all: “Thanks be to God who is always victorious in us!”

This is why he was far more eager for the shameful abuse that his zeal in preaching brought upon him than we are for the most pleasing honors, more eager for death than we are for life, for poverty than we are for wealth.

He yearned for toil far more than others yearn for rest after toil. The one thing he feared, indeed dreaded, was to offend God; nothing else could sway him. Therefore, the only thing he really wanted was always to please God.

The most important thing of all to him, however, was that he knew himself to be loved by Christ. Enjoying this love, he considered himself happier than anyone else; were he without it, it would be no satisfaction to be the friend of principalities and powers.

He preferred to be thus loved and be the least of all, or even to be among the damned, than to be without that love and be among the great and honored. To be separated from that love was, in his eyes, the greatest and most extraordinary of torments; the pain of that loss would alone have been hell, and endless, unbearable torture.

So too, in being loved by Christ he thought of himself as possessing life, the world, the angels, present and future, the kingdom, the promise and countless blessings. Apart from that love nothing saddened or delighted him; for nothing earthly did he regard as bitter or sweet.

-- From a Homily of St. John Chrysostom, Bp. of Constantinople

Experiencing the Communion of Saints: The De Profundis

Below are prayers for the dead from the new St. Augustine’s Prayer Book (published by Forward Movement and available here or here). These prayers may be offered at the close of day (traditionally at around 9 PM), or said at other times such as on All Souls’ Day (11/2), after the Eucharist, and especially in times of mourning and before the Burial Liturgy. 

Prayer for those who died is part of the Church's affirmation of the communion of saints. It is also part of the Church's healing ministry, in that through commending the souls of the faithful to God, we are being given grace to understanding more deeply the power of Christ's passion, death, resurrection, and ascension to unite all creation to God the Father in love and peace. 

Our prayers do not "make" anything happen; they connect us directly to what God is already doing, has done, and will do in Christ Jesus. Through the power of the Holy Spirit who calls forth our prayer and gives us true communion with God, we participate in the promise of salvation and in its first fruits already made known in Christ.

These prayers take their name from the first two words in Latin of Psalm 130, a psalm long associated with the sick, those in peril and extreme need, or the dead.

130   De profundis

1       Out of the depths have I called to you, O Lord;

Lord, hear my voice; *

     let your ears consider well the voice of my supplication.

2       If you, Lord, were to note what is done amiss, *

     O Lord, who could stand?

3       For there is forgiveness with you; *

     therefore you shall be feared.

4       I wait for the Lord; my soul waits for him; *

     in his word is my hope.

5       My soul waits for the Lord,

more than watchmen for the morning, *

     more than watchmen for the morning.

6       O Israel, wait for the Lord, *

     for with the Lord there is mercy;

7       With him there is plenteous redemption, *

     and he shall redeem Israel from all their sins.

V. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord.

R. And let light perpetual shine upon them.

Our Father &c.

V. And lead us not into temptation.

R. But deliver us from evil.

V. From the gates of hell:

R. Deliver their souls, O Lord.

V. May they + rest in peace.

R. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear our prayer.

R. And let our cry come unto thee.

Set free from every bond, O Lord, the soul(s) of thy servant(s) N.[N.], that in the glory of the resurrection, he may be raised up amid thy saints and elect unto newness of life. Amen.

Lord Jesus, whose loving heart was ever touched by the sorrows of others, have mercy upon the souls of the faithful departed, and grant them a place of refreshment, light, and peace whence pain and sorrow and sighing are driven away; and in thy goodness and mercy pardon every sin committed by them in thought, word, and deed; thou who art the resurrection and the life, and who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.

- or -

Almighty and eternal God, to whom there is never any prayer made without hope of mercy, be merciful to the souls of thy servants being departed from this world in the confession of thy Name that they may be welcomed into the company of the saints, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

V. Rest eternal grant to them, O Lord.

R. And let light perpetual shine upon them.

V. From the gates of hell:

R. Deliver their souls, O Lord.

V. I trust to see the goodness of the Lord

R. In the land of the living.

V. O Lord, hear our prayer.

R. And let our cry come unto thee.

O Lord Jesus Christ, our shepherd and guide, grant us to walk through the valley of the shadow of death fearing no evil, lacking nothing, and accompanied by thee, who thyself hast passed that way and made it light and who now livest and reignest in glory everlasting. Amen.

Becoming saints even now...

A Blessed All Saints' Day to you!

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting.  Amen.

The Collect for All Saints’ Day

The feast of All the Saints, which begins the month of November in joy and triumph, is a celebration of the call to share in God’s holiness. So convinced were early Christians that this was their destiny they routinely referred to each other as “the saints of God” without irony or blush.

To become part of Christ’s living body is to partake of the life-blood of holiness. We are to follow God’s blessed saints “in all virtuous and godly living,” as the collect for this Principal Feast bids us. Ordinary people are being transformed in the Church into an extraordinary People: the Holy People of God. As the First Letter of Peter says: “…you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people, in order that you may proclaim the mighty acts of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.” But what does that life look like? How will we know it?

The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:1-12) give us a clear and daring explanation. The saints of God—wherever they are and whenever they live—are all judged on the same basis. Are we peacemakers? Do we desire to be pure? Do we hunger and thirst after righteousness? Most importantly, do we live in poverty of spirit, wherein we become a vessel emptied of self so that we may receive and share God? These are the marks of the authentic saints. Even our worship is based on the Beatitudes: each Eucharist is both a revelation of God’s judgment of our life and a renewal in the grace to live a life worthy of the “ineffable joys” prepared for those who truly love God.

True saints are not interested in judging others but are keen to judge themselves. They submit all of their lives to the loving, redeeming, purifying care of the God who so fiercely desires to share Eternal Life with those made in his Image. When they fall, the saints turn back to God. When they succeed, they give the Love of their life the praise. When they are tried beyond their strength, they burrow down deep into the bosom of the one who was tried and found strong enough for all.

All Saints’ is but the greatest of the many feasts of the saints, scattered like seeds or gems throughout the year. The saints are people like us, indeed: human, limited, frail, and at times mistaken. But they are like us in another way: baptized into the power and strength of God. They beckon to us from every age and condition, reminding us that they know what it is to “fight the good fight” and to walk in our moccasins. They intercede for us because together we form “one communion and fellowship” of hope, endurance, and victory. For all the saints—their witness, their example, their encouragement—we give thanks not as passive observers but as active partners in God’s rescue mission to humanity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Keeping the Feast of All the Saints

Tomorrow night is All Hollows' Eve, commonly called Hallowe'en.  It has been so co-opted by commercial forces in this country that most people have no idea it is actually a Christian holiday. Even many Christians do not realize this, thinking it is some sort of purely pagan event. As with all liturgical "days," All Hallows' (or, All Saints' Day, as we tend to call it now) begins with its eve -- and there's the rub.

The old custom of some slightly non-saintly behavior on this night has been turned into the excuse for a gigantic commercial extravaganza devoid of Christian meaning (sound familiar?), but full of lurid and grotesque imagery--and the opportunity to spend vast sums of money. Indeed, we are told Hallowe'en is now second only to Christmas in the cash-grab department.

In response, some churches have ceded the Feast completely to the culture and turned their back to it. To protect their members (especially the young ones) from contamination, enormous effort is made to put on "Harvest Festivals" instead. Except for the change of season, no mention is normally made of the origins of the holiday.

Though fun and family-oriented, such activities sadly miss the point: at the time of the year when the earth (in our hemisphere) seems to be dying, our faith reminds us that death has no victory. Through New Life in Christ given in Holy Baptism, we are now part of an ongoing communion of saints spanning life in this world and in the next. In an era so full of darkness and cynicism, the message that we are God's saints should not be laid aside or downplayed: it should be celebrated and encouraged.

The Episcopal Church manages to avoid both cultural extremes with regard to Hallowe'en. A certain amount of participation in the "misrule" side of the season is common among us; being a Christian doesn't require a frowning outlook on fun, nor a fearful anxiety when we consider some of the scarier or sillier aspects of life. Yet, the focus remains on the biblical and apostolic truth found in the creeds: we are part of a "great cloud of witnesses" in Christ, and nothing--scary things, our own folly or the folly of others, or even death itself--can separate us from the love of God in Christ.

As with many parishes, St. Timothy's celebrates the Feast of All the Saints this Sunday, marking it with special richness and delight. At the 10 AM service I plan to take some time with the children to unpack this day's meaning. All of this is so we might keep the feast, not trivialize it or be scared of it. Such is the character of a mature, unafraid faith.

Autumn comes and goes each year; the truth of our Faith is eternal. Come, let us celebrate the Feast of All the Saints together.

Faithfully in Christ,

Brandon+