Sunday next before Advent

The Gospel assigned for the last Sunday of the church year in the 1928 BCP is John 6:5-14, the familiar story of feeding the 5000. This story is filled with meaning, but on this occasion, let us focus on the final verse. When the people saw Jesus' miraculous act, they affirmed that He was "that prophet that should come into the world" (John 6: 14). He is the one who was to come. He is the prophet like Moses predicted in Deuteronomy 18:15 &18. 

Certainly, Christians think that Jesus is more than a mere prophet. He is the divine Savior. Yet He is also the ultimate prophet. Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Hebrew line of prophets. Jesus is much greater than Moses, and He establishes a covenant greater than the one established through the work of Moses (Hebrews 8:6). Jesus is not just any prophet but the long-expected one who brings completion. 

At the end of the church year, we also look forward. We anticipate the continuing work of redemption. Jesus is the One who was to come and the One who has already come; He is also the One who will come again. Although Jesus Christ has already accomplished the great acts of redemption, we still await the consummation of His Kingdom. We live between the times, and we continue to look for growth in faith and in service.

All Saints- Hebrews 12:1; Jude 3

 All Saints Day is one of the great celebrations of the Church. This feast reflects a long development from the early years of Christian history through the centuries. In the New Testament, there was already a strong sense of community, communion, and continuity among believers. Christians shared with one another, interceded for one another, gave thanks for one another, and honored the witness and example of the faithful who had gone before. They had the sense of being surrounded by a great "cloud of witnesses" (Hebrews 12:1); they also knew that they must continue to "contend for the faith which was once delivered unto the saints" (Jude 3).

Thus, All Saints Day is a celebration of the Christian faith from Biblical times to the present and beyond. Let us rejoice in the heritage of the saints, and by divine grace, let us seek to be saints who pass the Christian faith on to others!