In the Lord’s Supper, we join with those
saints who have gone before, with palm branches in their hands, in
singing the Sanctus: ‘Holy Holy,
Holy…Blessed is he who cometh in the name of the Lord!’ With those saints,
we also partake of the marriage feast of the Lamb which has no end.
The multitude is clad in white, it is waving
palm branches, and it is crying hymns of praise in a loud voice. While much of
this imagery parallels the Triumphal Entry scene as depicted in the gospels, it
should be noted that this multitude certifiably pledges itself to the Lamb.
Unlike the multitude in the Triumphal Entry scene that later turns its back on
the Messiah, this multitude will remain faithful to the Lamb “forever and ever
On the Feast Day of All Saints, we Christians
around the world gather to celebrate the lives of those saints who have gone on
before us. We give thanks for those saints living still today. And, we ponder
how all of us -- you and me -- are called to live lives of sanctity. This passage
reminds us that being a faithful witness -- like the great multitude -- is the
baptismal vocation of us all. It also reminds us that when we live out our
Christian vocation, we find freedom in the Lamb of God who sustains all of us.[1]
A prayer
for joy in the promise of bodily resurrection: Merciful Father and Lord of life,
with whom live the spirits of those who depart in the faith, we thank You for
the blessings of body and soul that You granted this departed loved one, whose
earthly remains we now lay to rest. Above all, we rejoice at Your gracious
promise to all Your servants, both living and departed, that we shall be raised
from death at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with
You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen[2]
No comments:
Post a Comment