Pastoral Page

As the dusk falls earlier and the nights are becoming longer, as the wind howls and the air turns chilly, the change of season draw our attention to the meditation of mortality and eternity. One of the most important holy days on the Church Calendar is All Saints' Day. According to the medieval book the Golden Legends, All Saints' Day originated from celebrating the dedication of the Roman temple Pantheon into the All Saints' Church. A former temple used for worshipping all the idols (hence the name Pantheon) was successfully cleansed and consecrated to the commemoration of all the saints of the Christian Church. November 1 was dedicated to all the Christian martyrs and saints who had passed into eternity. In Medieval English language this day was called "All Hallows' Day." The evening before became an evening of prayer and preparation and was known as "All Hallows' Eve" (The Holy Evening). This was later shortened to "Hallowe'en".

1. You do not need to wait till you die to become a saint! According to the New Testament Bible, everyone who believes in and has received Jesus Christ is a saint. When the Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, he addressed them as "you also are among those who are called to belong to Jesus Christ…who are loved by God and called to be saints" (Romans 1:6-7).
2. Do not wait till you die to become a saint! When the Apostle Paul addressed the Christians in Corinth, he reminded them of their high calling: "To the church of God…to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy" (1 Corinthians 1:2). In church history, there are two categories of saints, martyrs and confessors. The etymological meaning of the word "martyr" means "witness". During the time of persecution in the early church, so many Christians witnessed for their faith by suffering execution and death rather than denying Jesus Christ that the word "martyr" changed its meaning to mean a person who witnesses for the Faith through death. "Confessors," on the other hand, are those who lived such exemplary lives that they "confessed" the Faith by living Christ-like lives.

"Martyrs" and "Confessors" both point to the importance of witnessing for Jesus Christ by our lives. If God has not called you to die for Him in the face of persecution, He has called you to live for Him and be His witness in your daily life. As we celebrate All Saint's Day and those who have gone before, let us aspire to live up to the high calling "for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3:14).

Love in Christ Jesus,
Pastor Ling