All Saints’ Day: Who are the saints? | The Rev. Susan E. Hill, Associate Rector

11.1.19 | Community, Pulpit Posts, World

Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints, and we will have a particularly festive marking of it at our Evensong commemorating the 175th anniversary of Church of the Holy Apostles tonight (Friday) at 7 pm. We will also remember All Saints’ Day, and its related day, All Souls’ (or the Commemoration of All Faithful Departed) this Sunday, November 3.

All these liturgical occasions invite us to think about Saints with a capital “S” and saints with a small “s.” From the earliest times after Jesus’ death and resurrection, communities of his followers remembered those among them whose lives as Christians were particularly exemplary, and who even suffered or died for their faith – the Saints. This remembering is paired with All Souls, or what we now call the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed. This is when we remember all the faithful who have gone before, whether they were particularly heroic in their sanctity or not, and it has also come to be a day we remember our family and friends who have died. From the earliest days of the church, in fact, all followers were called saints, with a small “s”.

That means that although it is good to have particular days every year to remember particularly inspiring folks from our tradition, and from our own lives, every day might rightly be called “All saints Day” – because every day is a day when we can be intentional about living our lives as small “s” saints. We don’t have to be martyred for our faith, or perform fantastic miracles. We simply need to seek to follow Jesus, and, with God’s help, to live into the promises of our Baptismal covenant. As a reminder, we will renew that covenant on Sunday – and you can get a sneak peek at pp 304-305 of the Book of Common Prayer. We will particularly promise to be nurtured by the church’s teachings, fellowship, holy communion, and prayer; to resist evil and repent of sin; to proclaim in words and actions the Good News of the story of Christ; to seek and serve Christ in all people, loving all our neighbors and ourselves; and finally to strive for justice and peace and the dignity of every human being.

Being a saint might feel daunting until we remember that we have already been fulfilling at least some of those promises, especially when we worship together at Holy Apostles and when we feed people in various ways at the Soup Kitchen and beyond. And we can keep working on the rest. After all, the answer to whether we will make good on those baptismal vows is always, “I will, with God’s help.” Every one of us is already a saint – and with God’s help, may we continue to grow ever more into our sainthood!

Rev. Susan Hill

Rev. Susan Hill

THE LATEST

Stay current on activity at the Soup Kitchen, guest stories, thoughts from Clergy, news and events.

Subscribe to receive the latest news, events, volunteer opportunities, and more — right to your inbox.

Church of the Holy Apostles

We are an open, inclusive Christian Church celebrating in the Episcopal tradition.

Sunday Service is held 11AM (on site and via livestream). Weekday services are held on Zoom.

LEARN MORE

For Newcomers

Learn about our faith community and explore ways to connect with our work and worship.

Sermons

Reflections on Holy Scripture from our Clergy.

History

Founded in 1844, with a focus on social activism and the desire for social justice.

Clergy, Staff & Vestry

The Vestry is the governing body of the Church of the Holy Apostles.

MUSIC

Music commands a strong presence at the Church of the Holy Apostles.

Space Rental

Host your next meeting or event in our landmark building.

Soup Kitchen & Pantry

Nourishing hungry New Yorkers since 1982 in an atmosphere of respect and hospitality.

LEARN MORE
Daily meal service

Serving a free, nutritious meal every weekday from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm.

Meal outreach

Distributing bagged breakfasts and lunches throughout Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen.

About the soup kitchen

Learn more about our mission, our history, our performance, who we are, and what we do.

Pantry Program

Providing fresh and nutritious groceries to food-insecure New Yorkers.

Sunday Supper

Bridging generations and building community over a monthly family style meal.

Give Layers of Love this Winter

Help Keep Our Guests Warm this Winter.

Social Support

Meeting basic needs, stabilizing lives, and supporting individuals and families to achieve their goals.

LEARN MORE
SOCIAL SERVICES

Addressing the needs of the whole person through basic needs, counseling, and referrals.

Classes

Offering learning and skill-building opportunities.

Community Partnership

Partnering with others to expand the services offered to our guests.

Get Involved

Holy Apostles is a great place to channel your time, talents and generosity for good.

LEARN MORE
Volunteer

Make a difference in the lives of New Yorkers experiencing homelessness and hunger.

Partner

Join our efforts to serve others and provide for people who are vulnerable.

Donate

Your gift provides food, community, and hope to New Yorkers in need.

The Latest

Stay up-to-date on all happenings at Holy Apostles.

VIEW ALL
Food For The Soul

The official blog of Holy Apostles Soup Kitchen.

Voices of Our Community

Guest stories, poetry, and more.

EVENTS

See our calendar of events.

Church Pulpit Posts

Read weekly meditations written by our clergy.

Newsroom

Holy Apostles in the news.