From the Assistant Rector: A Little Addition to the Great Thanksgiving
Dear friends at Our Redeemer,
I write to tell you about a small addition to our service of Holy Eucharist on Sundays. It is so small that you might not even notice it! But, like many small things, the more you attend to it, the more you might see.
The Great Thanksgiving is the name of the long prayer the priest leads as we pray over the bread and wine. In the Book of Common Prayer, there are a few different versions of this prayer. But in almost all of them, at the end of it, the prayer describes being with God and all the saints in God’s kingdom. And! There is the option to name a specific person in that description.
For example, in Prayer B (which we are using now), it says “. . . bring us to that heavenly country where, with [_________ and] all your saints, we may enter the everlasting heritage of your sons and daughters . . .”
This year we will start remembering one holy person in this prayer per month. In September, we will remember Holy David Pendleton Oakerhater. You can read about him here below; and this poster will also be at the entrances to the church.
The word “saint” means “holy,” and in the Episcopal Church we often use the word “Holy” as a title. So you could say “Saint David” or “Saint Mary,” but we also say “Holy David,” “Holy Mary.” Or you don’t have to use the title at all, if you would rather not.
We have chosen twelve saints from the official and authorized Episcopal sanctoral calendar, Lesser Feasts & Fasts 2022. You can download that book as a pdf here. Rev. Megan and I have selected saints from different times and places—of different cultures, languages, ethnicities, and races—of different branches of Christianity—and of different walks of life.
There are so many good things that this little naming can accomplish. It can help strengthen our memory of and connection to Christians of the past. It connects us more concretely to Christians around the world. It can give us a sense of how many different ways there are to be a faithful Chrisitan. It encourages us in difficult times, personal and global, with reminders of how Christians have walked with Christ in the past. It may even offer us a heavenly friend with whom we can pray.
We’re so grateful for the work of the Vestry and especially of the Mission & Vision Committee, who inspired us in this. We are also grateful to the Worship Committee for their encouragement and approval of this idea.
We hope this little change will offer something to your devotions and your life in the Church. If you have any questions, or would like to learn more, please reach out to me or Rev. Megan.
Yours enthusiastically,
Emily+
Mtr. Emily Garcia, Assistant Rector
2024 August 29
