Commemoration Of The Apostles And Saints

The Christian calendar also allows for the memory of those special persons in the life of the church who were called to be instruments of the gospel. Paul speaks of all Christians as saints (Rom. 15:25), and throughout the history of the church, the lives and testimony of these people have been models for commitment, servanthood, and faith. Worship should not be ordered and organized around them, however, because worship celebrates God's saving deeds in Christ. But mention of them in prayer or in any other appropriate way is acceptable and profitable to the church for the edification of the believer and the building up of the community of faith.

The Sanctoral Calendar Nov. 30 St. Andrew, Apostle Dec. 21 St. Thomas, Apostle Dec. 26 St. Stephen, Deacon and Martyr Dec. 27 St. John, Apostle and Evangelist Feb. 24 St. Matthias, Apostle Mar. 19 St. Joseph Apr. 25 St. Mark, Apostle and Evangelist May 1 St. Philip & St. James, Apostles June 11 St. Barnabas, Apostle June 29 St. Peter and St. Paul, Apostles July 22 St. Mary Magdalene July 25 St. James, Apostle Aug. 15 St. Mary, Mother of the Lord Aug. 24 St. Bartholomew, Apostle Sept. 21 St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist Sept. 29 St. Michael and All Angels Oct. 18 St. Luke, Evangelist Oct. 23 St. James of Jerusalem Oct. 28 St. Simon and St. Jude, Apostles Suggestions for Planning The purpose of commemorating apostles and saints is to remember their life, to take their faith as an example for our own, and to celebrate God's faithfulness to the church through their ministry. Worship on or near these days may accomplish this by following these guidelines: "¢ Read a passage of Scripture that records the ministry and life of the given apostle or saint. Consult a Scripture concordance to find these passages. "¢ Sing hymns that celebrate God's faithfulness through the lives of these apostles and saints. Many hymnals include texts that are appropriate for this. Consult a concordance or index of any recently released hymnal. Consider also hymns that celebrate God's faithfulness to the church such as "For All the Saints" or "The Church's One Foundation." "¢ Offer prayers that praise God for his faithfulness to the church. Prayers for each of these days can be found in The Collects for the Church Year (New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1985); Lutheran Book of Worship (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1978); The Proper for the Lesser Feasts and Fasts (New York: Church Hymnal Corporation, 1980); and The Cloud of Witnesses: A Companion to the Lesser Festivals and Holidays of the Alternative Service Book 1980 (London: Collins Liturgical Publications, 1980).