Reformation Day and All Saints Day.....A Brief Comment

Old Testament Reading: Deuteronomy 34:1-12
New Testament Reading: The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 21:1-22
All Saints Reading: The Holy Gospel According to St. Matthew 5:1-12
Psalms: Morning - 97
Evening - 16; 62

"Lord God, who after long ages of darkness delivered the Church from the bondage of error, we thank You for those faithful witnesses through whom You restored the Gospel of Christ to men, and we praise You that this blessed light has been preserved for us to this present age. We thank You for making known among us the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make us wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus, our only Mediator. Defend your Church against all her foes. Seek and save the lost and all who have gone astray. Prserve among us the pure Word and the holy Sacraments; turn our hearts from false and pernicious doctrine. Direct and strengthen us by Your Holy Spirit that we may abide in the confession of Your Word all the days of our lives and in the end, by Your grace, obtain everlasting life. This I pray in the name of God the Father, the Son (+), and the Holy Spirit. Amen." - Reformation Festival, Lutheran Book of Prayer.

"The glorious company of the apostles praise Thee. The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee. The white-robed army of martyrs praise Thee. All Thy saints and elect with one voice do acknowledge Thee. O Blessed Trinity, one God!" - Taken from the Nov. 1 Antiphon at Lauds, from the Te Deum (http://www.wf-f.org/AllSaints.html)

Today the church celebrates the Festival of All Saints. This is a day when we remember all those saints in the church, named on other days or not. It is fitting today on two counts. On the first, the day follows the Reformation Day Festival, a day when we remember the work of St. Martin Luther and his message of justification by grace alone, through faith alone, for the sake of Christ alone. It is also fitting, because today, one of our older pastors fell asleep and entered the church triumphant. Therefore it is fitting to remember St. William Lange, who was minister to the EMH members at Trinity.

Because of the work of God through St. Luther, we realize that all Christians are saints by the sole virtue of the blood and righteousness of the Word made flesh. Together with all the saints, you should take time today to thank God for the gift of His Son, who brought you into the family of all believers and blessed you, regardless of your failings and sin.

Even though today is All Saints Day, we are want to say nothing else but Soli Deo Gloria!