Adult / Couple
Pray
Prayer for All Saints Day
We give you thanks, O God, for all the saints who ever worshiped you
Whether in brush arbors or cathedrals,
Weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses
Where your name was lifted and adored.
We give you thanks, O God, for hands lifted in praise:
Manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil,
Strong hands and those gnarled with age
Holy hands
Used as wave offerings across the land.
We thank you, God, for hardworking saints;
Whether hard-hatted or steel-booted,
Head ragged or aproned,
Blue-collared or three-piece-suited
They left their mark on the earth for you, for us, for our children to come.
Thank you, God, for the tremendous sacrifices made by those who have gone before us.
Bless the memories of your saints, God.
May we learn how to walk wisely from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love.
Safiyah Fosua
Whether in brush arbors or cathedrals,
Weathered wooden churches or crumbling cement meeting houses
Where your name was lifted and adored.
We give you thanks, O God, for hands lifted in praise:
Manicured hands and hands stained with grease or soil,
Strong hands and those gnarled with age
Holy hands
Used as wave offerings across the land.
We thank you, God, for hardworking saints;
Whether hard-hatted or steel-booted,
Head ragged or aproned,
Blue-collared or three-piece-suited
They left their mark on the earth for you, for us, for our children to come.
Thank you, God, for the tremendous sacrifices made by those who have gone before us.
Bless the memories of your saints, God.
May we learn how to walk wisely from their examples of faith, dedication, worship, and love.
Safiyah Fosua
Learn
Pope Francis Canonizes Five new saints
As we approach November 1, the Feast of All Saints, our Church is celebrating the canonization of five new saints. On October 13, Pope Francis declared four women and one man saints. From various backgrounds and parts of the world, each of them offers us inspiration by the way they followed God in their lives. You can find a short biography for each of them on the Vatican website.
Do
Grand-parenting
In the fall, many schools have a special Grandparents' Day. My parents live 600 miles away, and my husbands' parents died before the kids ever got to school age. A couple of times, friends have "adopted" one of our kids on Grandparents' Day, but for the most part, they have been among those who are grandparent-less on that day. The reality is, according to this article in America, 52% of families deal with grandparents being more than 200 miles away from at least one grandchild.
The article stresses that grandparents have an important role in the lives of their grandchildren, regardless of distance. My parents and kids work hard to stay connected as they grow older, and technology helps. Many of the ideas offered in the article are applicable to grandparents who live near their grandchildren, as well as those far away.
The article stresses that grandparents have an important role in the lives of their grandchildren, regardless of distance. My parents and kids work hard to stay connected as they grow older, and technology helps. Many of the ideas offered in the article are applicable to grandparents who live near their grandchildren, as well as those far away.