Christian Reflection and Prayer

God will conquer death

For all the saints

"For all the saints, who from their labors rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy name, O Jesus, be forever blest,
Alleluia, Alleluia!

And when the strife is fierce, the warfare long,
Steals on the ear the distant triumph song,
And hearts are brave again, and arms are strong.
Alleluia, Alleluia!"
For All the Saints
William Walsham How (1823-1897)

Scripture:

So now you Gentiles are no longer strangers and
foreigners. You are citizens along with all of God's
holy people. You are members of God's family.
We are his house, built on the foundation of the
apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone
is Christ Jesus himself. We who believe are
carefully knit together, becoming a holy temple for
the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also joined
together as part of this dwelling where God lives
by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:19-22 NLT

A hero of the faith

"In 1864 Bishop William How wrote this hymn for
All Saints Day. He cited Hebrews 12:1 in his original
title, but he drew on all of Hebrews 11 for inspiration.
That's the famous "faith chapter," which praises the
faithful deeds of a score of Old Testament heroes.

The author might be considered a hero of the faith
himself. He was a man of the people, regularly
reaching out to minister to the poor and needy in his
area. Once he listed the characteristics that a
minister should have; among them was being
"wholly without thought of self." Those who knew him
said that Bishop How was like that, selflessly caring
for others."

(From The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark
Norton and Robert Brown (Tyndale) entry for
November 1)