Sunday 7 October 2012

For All The Saints–Even Questionable Ones!

It’s odd how tunes get stuck in your head. I’ve been humming this one on and off since we sung it recently [the original has about 13 verses] It always reminds me of assembly at my grammar school!

all saints fra angelico

For all the saints, who from their labours rest,
Who Thee by faith before the world confessed,
Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
 
Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might;
Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight;
Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
O may Thy soldiers, faithful, true and bold,
Fight as the saints who nobly fought of old,
And win with them the victor’s crown of gold.
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!
The golden evening brightens in the west;
Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest;
Sweet is the calm of paradise the blessed.
Alleluia, Alleluia!
From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast,
Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host,
And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost:
Alleluia, Alleluia!

Yesterday was our Church Awayday, and it was really good to spend time with many of the saints from our fellowship, as we looked together at “Worship” and what it means for us.

Today is the Feast Day of Saint Palladius. He was Bishop of Saintes in western France and died in AD 590. I couldn’t find a picture of him anywhere [there are actually three St P’s!] only this very sad comment;

“Bishop of Saintes from 570. His sainthood is questionable.”

4 comments:

  1. Now you have piqued my interest!
    Jane x

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  2. To be fair to him. I sometimes think that mine is :)

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  3. Oooh, never heard of that saint! Glad you had a good time at your away day! I just got back from the Confirmation service which was brilliant- the bishop of Barking is so inspiring!

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  4. I like that lyric very much. The tune our church uses for it is rather an awkward one in terms of metre - no one can quite get the timing of the notes right (especially on the second line of each stanza). Or maybe it's the organist's fault!

    And really, whose sainthood is not questionable? Good thing it doesn't rest on our own merit. :)

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