Saturday and Sunday at Parroquia Episcopal San Cristóbal

It's been quite busy at Parroquia San Cristóbal.
Saturday Padre Cáceres held a retiro y ensayo for the First Communion group and I helped him. We had devotions and talks, and we also practiced for Sunday's service. It was more complicated than a Wedding rehearsal!

Sunday morning was the Second U.T.O. Ingathering AND the Altar Guild's Bake Sale. The Lovely Mona made her famous pumpkin cake, which sold out quickly. I also had a few bottles of my curry powder available and they sold out, too. But, as always, the star of the Bake Sale is the Cod Fish Cake. Mrs. Bennett is seen frying em up.

La Misa en español usually starts around 10:30 or so, but since we had so much going on we started at 10:00 am en punto. The young people processed in with the Altar Party, which made for a very long procession. The church was packed with family and friends and it was a very high-energy service. Carmen sang the Gloria and did so wonderfully. La Familia Murray, Bernie (our organist), Vielka (his wife), and Zenie (daughter), sang a lovely song for the offertory anthem. We had 49 young people have their First Communion, and they have participated as ushers, readers, choir members, and acolytes for the past three months. They are very enthusiastic about participating in church, and we are happy to have them join us.

After la misa, the young people and their friends and families all went next door to Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal for a festive luncheon. What a wonderful Sunday!

Here are the photos!
Retiro y Ensayo
The kids


Practicing the Procession



Altar Guild Bake Sale
The Lovely Mona's Pumpkin Cake

Buying up the baked goods!


Mrs. Bennett cookin' up the cod fish cek


Padre Mickey's Powerful Curry POWdah

First Communion Service
The Procession









Carmen singing the Gloria


First Reading


Salmo

Second Reading (Maureen was baptized last Sunday)

Mr. Ricky Staple at the drum kit

Procession of the Gifts







Post communion

Hilary

Manuela

Carmen

Alexis

Abdul

Directora Patricia Lewis, Director of Instituto Episcopal San Cristóbal

Ms. Patsy Pusey, Ms. Choroland McQueen, and Ms. Tania Cole

A Classic Episode of Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging!

I've been trying to be good and avoid the Controversies of the World Wide Anglican Communion lately as I'm trying to find a job in the U.S. and it's been Rather Difficult, but some stuff ya just can't ignore!

So, some stuff never changes. It appears that The Usual Suspects are threatening not to go to the Primates Meeting in Dublin (although now there is this update in which it is claimed that there will be no changes to the meeting). The Most Holy, Pure, and Untainted by Girl Cooties or Homosexual Urges Primates (and Bishops) of the Global South have threatened not to show up to stuff before. I believe they made the last Lambeth Conference much more enjoyable with their absence, but I wasn't there so I'm Just Being Difficult, I'm sure. But they simply have to see the Invitation List before they'll agree to attend any of the ABC's Meetings/Get Togethers.

All this reminded me of this classic episode of Friday Red Mr. Peanut Bank and Gallito Mescalito Blogging from May of 2007, which I repost for your enjoyment. I haven't been posing the Knick-knacks and Doggie Toys lately as I am in dire need of this:

Let's get on with our Classic Episode of Your Favorite Friday Night Diversion!!!

Featuring: Bunrab! The Filthiest Toy In the House!!


Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Ya know, I think I'll throw a party. It would be fun to have all the Dance Party Toys over for drinks and games and finger-foods!


Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy: I heah ya tinkin' of havin' a pahty
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Yes! I hope you'll be coming!
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy: You gonna 'vite dat Tiny-winky fella?
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Of course! He lives here in the barriada.
Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy: Hmmmm. See ya later.


Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Hello, Bunrab!
Gallito Mescalito: ¡Shriek!
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Hello Boys! How are things?
Gallito Mescalito: ¡Shriek! ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Quite good, actually. And how are things with you?
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Muy bién, gracias a Dios. Say, I'm thinking of having a party. If I send you two invitations, will you attend?
Gallito Mescalito: ¿Shriek? ¡Shriek! ¡Shriek!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Well of course! We wouldn't miss it for the world.
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy was asking whether Tinky-winky was going to be invited. Why would he care?
Gallito Mescalito: ¡Shriiieeekk!
Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Don't worry about him. He's just a big grump. We've got to go.
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Okay boys; see ya around!


Egyptian Hippo of Love: Hey Bunrab!
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Ooo! Hi, Miss Egyptian Hippo of Love! How are you?
Egyptian Hippo of Love: I'm fine, but I gotta tell you something. It's about that party you're planning. Mr. Chompy's Chewed-up Kitty Toy says he's not coming if you invite Tinky-winky.
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Why would he say such a thing?
Egyptian Hippo of Love: He says that Tinky-winky's manner of life is a scandal and destroying the moral fiber of this barriada.
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: His manner of life?
Egyptian Hippo of Love: You know, he wears purple, has a triangle on the top of his head, and has that obsession with that stupid red purse.
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: I don't see how that is a threat to the moral fiber of the barriada.
Egyptian Hippo of Love: I'm just tellin' ya what people are saying. You may want to reconsider your invitation list.


Gallito Mescalito: Shriek, shriek shriek shriek. ¡¡Shriieeeeeekk!
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: What? What are you trying to say? Timmy's fallen down the well and we need to get help?
Gallito Mescalito: SHRIEK, SHRIEK SHRIEK SHRIEK. ¡¡SHRIIEEEEEEKK!!
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: I'm sorry, but I can't understand a word you're shrieking.
Gallito Mescalito: ¡SSHHRRRRRIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEEKKKKKK!


Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Hello, Bunrab! You've certainly upset Gallito Mescalito!
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: I'm sorry, but I have some trouble understanding that guy.
Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Most folks do. He was upset because people have been spreading nasty rumours about Tinky-winky. He said that if you are going to exclude anyone, it should be that Diablito Sucio. You know how he chases everyone in the barriada with his clackity-clackity. Plus he threatens to drag everyone to hell who disagrees with him on anything. He is a bit of a pain!
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Sheesh, I just want to have a nice party! sigh.
Red Mr. Peanut Bank: Well, it's your party. You invite who you want to, but just remember that Diablito Sucio tends to put folks off.


Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Sheesh, what should I do? Tiny-winky gives some folks the heebie-jeebies, and Diablito Sucio has alienated half the barriada with his clacky-clacking and threats.


Angelbell, the Sweetest (and Least-clothed) Person in the Barriada: Maybe you should invite everyone and let the chips fall where they may! But then again, you do want a nice party without controversy!


The Apocalyptic Angel from Guatemala announces that the invitations have been sent out!


Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Hello everybody! I want everyone to come to my party, where we will have fun and not vote on anything! But since I want to have a wonderful party, I have decided not to invite Mr. Tinky-winky or Mr. Diablito Sucio since they are such sources of discord, although I personally like both of them.


Some Folks: If Diablito Sucio isn't invited, we aren't coming either! It's a slap in the face to the moral inhabitants of the barriada.


Other Folks: If Tinky-winky isn't invited, we aren't coming either. It's a slap in the face to the right-thinking inhabitants of the barriada!


The Tick Great party!! Where is everyone?
Bunrab, the Filthiest Toy in the House: Sigh.

Friday Random Top Ten Five! Now With Neil Young Birfday Stuff!!

Yeah, git outta here, ya big nasty devil!

Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. Yeh Yeh They Might Be Giants
2. The Other Side of Life Emmylou Harris
3. Jaguar The Who
4. Space Junk DEVO
5. Generals and Majors XTC

And we stop there. Seriously. It's not going to get any better than Generals and Majors. I almost stopped at Space Junk but I'm glad I let it go one more time.

Today, in addition to being my cousin Marlene's birthday and the birthday of the Most Wonderful Fran I Am, is the birthday of Neil Young, Dance Party Favorite.

Here is some information you need about Neil Young, and the best song he never recorded.


Watchoo listenin' to?

Tuesday Miss Bebé, The World's Most Beautiful Granchile™ Blogging

Miss Bebé, Guru of the Chilrens

Look!

Ayer en Parroquia San Cristóbal

We had five baptisms yesterday en la misa en español de Parroquia San Cristóbal. I was expecting more because on Friday I was told we had ten baptisms scheduled. By the 7:30 am service on Sunday I was told "six baptisms scheduled." But when we got down to it, we had five. This happens; I even had a family appear during the offertory one Easter Vigil asking if they were too late for the baptism. I said "yes." I did baptize the baby the next Sunday.

We baptize from the front of the church, even though we have a baptistry in the back of the church. When we have the baptisms up front, everyone can participate. As you can see, the baptizands, their God-parents and family members all gather around, as well as the choir and the Altar Party. It gets a bit crowded but it works well. It seems that our baptisms are always at the 10:30 am Spanish-language service, although sometimes we have baptisms during a bilingual service, but perform the baptism in español; I'm not sure I even know how to baptize in English anymore.

We also had another group of acolytes being trained, so it was fun all around! They did quite well and followed the directions of Tania and Ms. Pusey so that they met Padre's Standard for a Successful Service: Nothing fell down, nothing was spilled, and nothing caught fire. After the service, the First Communion kids had a Final Exam! Next week will be the First Communion, and what a day is planned!!

Here are the Lovely Mona's photos of all the goings on.

Padre Cáceres and the new acolytes

Los bautizados con Padrinos y las familias

Maureen

Angela

Juan José

Nadette

She did not like her face getting wet!

Herbierto

Marked as Christ's Own Forever! (Nadette doesn't appear as she no longer trusts priests who reach for her forehead)

New Acolytes lead the procession of the Gifts

The Newly Baptized

This post has been visited by the Alter Guild

Unisex Baby Clothes

Selections From Padre's 45 Collection

Yes, it's Friday night, and there is nothing worth watching on U.S. TeeVee, so you come to the Dance Party, looking for relief. Well, no knick-knacks and doggie toys acting out Padre's crazy stories (he hasn't been inspired in ages), but we gots videos of stuff from Padre and the Lovely Mona's eclectic singles collection. Tonight we be diggin' da New Wave.

Friday Random Top Ten

Red Guard Dance Party, everbuddy! "Wave your Red Book in the air like ya jes don't care!"

Ya pushes "shuffle" and ya takes yer chances. . .

1. Whine & Grine/Stand Down Margaret The (English) Beat
2. On Top The Killers
3. Inevitable Shakira
4. Scarecrow Pink Floyd
5. Hobo's Meditation Dolly Parton, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris
6. Dog Eat Dog Adam and the Ants
7. Sueña Guitarra Los Plumas Negras
8. Airbag Radiohead
9. You Talk Way Too Much The Strokes
10. Big Time Neil Young and Crazy Horse live

Geez, the Killers and the Strokes on the same list? What is this, 2004? Lotsa good stuff, however. One of Shakira's best, and I'm happy to see Los Plumas Negras since we're in the midst of the Patriotic Holidays here in Panamá. Today is Colón Day, which is our version of Columbus Day. Too bad there's no video for that one. All the other songs are cool, too.

Watchoo listenin' to?

¡Feliz Día de Bandera de Panamá!

It's Flag Day here in Panamá, which means another day off for the Lovely Mona and me. Yay! We wanna go watch the band march, but it looks like it's gonna pour, so we may chicken out and watch it on el televisor.

The first flag of Panamá was made by Philippe Bunau-Varilla, the Frenchman who "designed" the separation of Panamá from Colombia and "negotiated" the arrangement for the U.S. to build the Canal (he negotiated treaties to the benefit of the U.S. and not in Panamás favor). Bunau-Varilla had a secret meeting with Manuel Amador and present the flag of liberation that Madame Bunau-Varilla and Grace Bigelow had spent an entire Sunday stitching together "in the greatest secrecy." It was designed to look very much like the U.S. flag, but the white stripes were yellow and in place of the stars in a field of blue were two yellow suns (representing the two continents) joined by a yellow band (representing the Canal). When Amador returned to Panamá he presented the flage and the rest of Bunau-Varilla's "revolutionary paraphernailia" at Federico Boyd's home. Nobody liked the flag, which looked too much like the U.S. flag for anyones' tastes. A new flag was designed by Amador's son, Manuel, and was sewn by Señorita María Amelia de la Ossa, and quickly duplicated by the women of the Amador, Arango, and Arosemena households. So today we celebrate that we weren't stuck with the flag designed by that French fella.

For Those Depressed By Last Night's Results. . .

A little sumpin' ta cheer ya up!
What if the Beatles had never progressed past 1963?


These had the Lovely Mona and Padre in hysterics this morning.

Día de Independencia

Today we celebrate independence from Colombia. La República de Panamá tiene 107 años hoy.

The Panamanian National Anthem:

Alcanzamos por fin la victoria en el campo feliz de la unión;

con ardientes fulgores de gloria se ilumina la nueva nacion.

Es preciso cubrir con un velo del pasado el calvario y la cruz ;

y que adorne el azul de tu cielo de concordia la esplendida luz.

El progreso acaricia tus lares al compás de sublime canción ;

ves rugir a tus pies ambos mares que dan rumbo a tu noble misión.

Alcanzamos por fin la victoria en el campo feliz de la unión;

con ardientes fulgores de gloria se ilumina la nueva nacion.

En tu suelo cubierto de flores, a los besos del tibio terral,

terminaron guerreros fragores; solo reina el amor fraternal.

Adelante la pica y la pala, al trabajo sin mas dilación ;

y seremos asi prez y gala, de este mundo feraz de Colón.

Nice, eh? Nothing about "bombs bursting in air" or descriptions of the flag, just a song about hope for the nation.

Lord, Have Mercy!

Commemoration of All Faithful Departed

Día de los Difuntos

This is my bog-standard All Souls' Day sermon

Today we are celebrating All Souls Day the day in which we commemorate those who have passed on. It is really an extension of All Saints Day which we celebrated yesterday. It's an extension of All Saints Day because all Christians are considered saints but some people consider some saint to be more holy than others, and they had trouble with the idea of commemorating holy martyrs such as Perpetua and Felicitas on the same day as they remembered their Uncle Fred, so now we have All Souls Day as the day to commemorate "lesser" saints like Uncle Fred. It is important to remember the saints like our Aunts and Uncles just as much as it is to remember James of Jerusalem, Polycarp of Smyrna, Thecla and Blandina, because the saints we know and have seen everyday can be even better examples for us of how God wants us to live. The saints who are members of our families and neighborhoods can be the examples which brought us to the point where we decided to follow Christ and God's way instead of our own way. We sang "I Sing A Song Of The Saints Of God" because of that third verse:
They lived not only in ages past,
There are hundreds of thousands still,
The world is bright with the joyous saints
Who love to do Jesus' will.
You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,
In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea,
For the saints of God are just folk like me,
And I mean to be one too!

I can think of several saints, departed and living, who influenced me. My grandfather was a minister in the Assemblies of God church and he was a missionary in China and the Philippine Islands. He and his family were captured by the Japanese during WWII and although he was tortured he never lost his faith. He was well educated, which was unusual for pastors in his church, and his example was a great model for me. I studied both Hebrew and Greek in seminary because he had done so (I was terrible in Hebrew). When I was an acolyte at Sukiran Chapel in Okinawa and was first introduced to the Episcopal Church, Chaplain Bennett was a great influence on me. He showed me that one could approach God and religion from an intellectual standpoint and he gave me a love for beautiful liturgy. My mentor, the Rev. Eckford deKay, former Rector of St. Francis' Church in San José, California, took me under his wing when I began to consider ordination, and he told me to join the Vestry and become a delegate to Diocesan Convention. He said that if I still wanted to be a priest after Vestry and Convention he'd take me to see the bishop, and as a result of his advice I was much less naïve and idealistic about Church politics than my classmates in seminary. All my professors in seminary were great influences on me, but the Rev. Dr. Jon Kater was quite instrumental in my coming to Panamá, and it was Bishop Hayes who convinced me that this was where I should be. My friend Elizabeth Leigh helped me understand the importance of the environment and our duty to be good stewards of this earth, and Janet Levi taught me patience and the importance of being true to one's art. So that's two living saints and five who have joined the Great Cloud of Witnesses who have influenced me and brought me to where I am now.

I'll bet everyone in this room can name several people, family members and friends and teachers and even clergy, who have influenced them and encouraged them in their spiritual journey, and all these people are saints, because a saint is someone whose life is an example and model. We don't pray to the saints; we know that they were human beings just like us, but they are people who are examples of what is possible when we let God control our lives. Saints are not without sin; many saints, both great and lesser, lived less than perfect lives at one time, but all of them came to the point where they were able to surrender themselves to God's will and live the life that God wanted of them, and that is why their lives were beacons to us all. They were able to be vulnerable enough so that God could work through them; they were able to be transparent enough so that God's light would shine through them, and that we would be attracted to their examples. And just as these people were examples to us, we, everyone in this room, is an example to someone else! Whether you like it or not, as a Christian, you, too, are a saint, and the way you are living your life is an example to someone. Those moments when you are vulnerable enough to let God work through you, those moments when you are transparent enough to let God shine through you, you become an example of the Christian life to someone else.

You are a Christian, you are a saint, those moments when you can surrender yourself to God's will are the moments when you are a beacon to those who are lost. Those who have passed on, those who have departed this world, have been great influences on our lives, and it is important to remember them. I grew up on Okinawa, and the local religion there is much like the Shinto religion of Japan. In Japan, China, and Okinawa, the Cult of the Ancestors is very important. Some believe that one's ancestors keep looking out for those in this world, and that it is important to honor one's ancestors. One way the ancestors are honored is by remembering them, and most homes in Okinawa have a family altar, and on that altar is a lacquerware plaque with the names of all the departed family members, going all the way back to the first member of the family. On the festival of Obon, it is believed that the ancestors return to this world to visit, and the names of all the ancestors are read as a means of remembering them. We will be doing something similar in a few minutes, when I read the necrology, or list of the Faithful Departed. And when you hear the name of a family member read aloud, you will remember them, and they will come alive again in your memory, if only for a few seconds. This is one type of immortality.

So, I am going to read the names of the Faithful Departed, a list of over 700 names. We've just gone though a tough month, losing five members in just two weeks, and their names are included on this list. While the names are being read, I ask you to sit quietly in contemplation, in reflection. Think of those who have gone on before. Think of those whose names you recognize, and think of how thy influenced your life. Think about those everyday saints who helped bring you to where you are now, and I want you to think of how wonderful it will be on the Last Day when we are all reunited and we join them around the Banquet Table at the Wedding Feast of the Lamb.

Monday Miss Bebé, the World's Most Beautiful Granchile™ Blogging

Feast of All Saints

All Saints Day is the day on which we remember the martyrs, those who died for their faith, those who refused to sacrifice to the emperor and were thrown to the beasts and gladiators in the arena. Others were tied to stakes and burned while others died deaths too terrible to mention here in God's house. In the earliest days of the Church, martyrs were remembered on the day of their martyrdom; the faithful would gather at the grave of the martyr and would pray and sing hymns. But by the time of the final persecutions towards the end of the fourth century, there were too many martyrs to commemorate on the day of their deaths plus many that had died and whose names had not been recorded. The Christians in Rome were remembering the martyrs, known and unknown, on a special day by the year 373. All Saints Day was celebrated on May 13 for many centuries, but Pope Greogory III ded icated a new church on November 1 and declared that day All Saints Day. In the year 836 Pope Gregory IV declared a universal observance of All Saints on that day and that has been the date ever since.

We remember the martyrs because their example of bravery and standing for their faith helped the church to grow and also helped defeat those who persecuted the Church. The very first Christian martyr was the Deacon Stephen. James of Jerusalem, the brother of Jesus, was martyred by an angry mob. Later persecutions were committed by the Roman authorities and they were much more cruel than the stonings by the Jews. When we read the accounts of the martyrdoms of Perpetua and Felicitatus, of the martyrs of Lyon, of Bishop Polycarp, and the hundreds of martyrs in the “History of the Church” by Bishop Eusebius, we learn that their brave example changed the opinion of people against the persecutors and in favor of the Christians. When the people of the Roman empire saw the martyrs face death willingly and refusing to give in to their torturers, they began to wonder what gave them such courage and many people were converted to Christ. Even though the martyrs were brave, that was not the case for all Christians. Imagine how frightened you would be if you knew that because you are a member of San Cristóbal, you could be arrested and torn apart by lions and bears in an arena where everyone in Parque Lefevre and Rio Abajo would watch you die. Some people are brave, but many of us are not always so full of courage! The Apostle John discussed this in his vision of the Final Days. John had been exiled to Patmos, a small island, because he had been preaching in Edessa. John wanted to warn Christians of the persecution to come and he wanted to help them face it bravely. He warned the Christians that fierce persecutions would take place, but if they remained faithful, they would be rewarded with eternal life in the City of Light, the City of God. They would all stand before the throne of the Lamb where they would serve him day and night within his temple. The image of the Temple was important because the book of the Apocalypse was probably written after the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. To serve God in the Temple was an image which gave people hope. John saw 144,000 people from every tribe of Israel standing before the throne, but then he saw “a great multitude that no man could number, from every nation and tribe and people and tongue, standing before the throne, clothed in white robes with palm branches in their hands, crying out in a loud voice: “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!” John was told that these people were the ones who had come through the great tribulation. They had washed their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. As their reward they serve God in the Temple, but also, they have been rewarded because “the One who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” They were also promised that their deaths would be avenged by God. This vision gave people hope, it reminded them that God loved them and that they would not suffer in vain or die in vain. Because they knew God loved them and that they would have every tear wiped away, they were able to face their trials with courage and this courage inspired others to turn to Christ and receive eternal life. John was fortunate enough to leave Patmos, and he returned to Edessa and later died an old man, in Ephesus.

Most of us are very fortunate; Christianity is not illegal where we live and we probably won't have to face persecution. We probably won't be threatened with death for gathering at our churches every Sunday to share the bread and wine, but people are being martyred for the faith in parts of Africa and in Pakistan and in Iraq. Christians have been killed in the past fifty years in El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and even Panama by governments hostile to their dedication to the teachings of Jesus. We need to continue to pray for the Christians around the world who are living under persecution.

The lectionary designates a reading of the Beatitudes on All Saints Day, either the version from Matthew’s or Luke’s gospels. The Beatitudes bestow a blessing for who one is or for what one does. Many of us have been poor at some time in our lives. Jesus said that the poor or poor in spirit have the kingdom of heaven. We a have mourned at some time, and there are people mourning right now, but you are blessed because you shall be comforted. You who are meek are blessed and will inherit the earth. You who hunger and thirst for righteousness, those of you who love God with your whole mind, you are blessed and will be satisfied. You who are merciful are blessed for you shall obtain mercy. You who are pure in heart are blessed and shall see God. Those of you who are peacemakers, who work to end strife at home, at work, in your community and in the world are blessed and will be called the children of God. There are special blessings for the martyrs, for the persecuted. You who are persecuted for righteousness sake, you will have the kingdom of heaven, just as will the poor. And all of us are blessed when people revile us and persecute us and utter all kinds of evil against us falsely on account of Christ. Those who are martyrs, those who are persecuted, rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven. All of us here are either poor, mourning, meek, hungering and thirsting for righteousness, merciful, or peacemakers. Some of you may fall under several blessings, and some may even be suffering persecution. Know that you are blessed, that you are loved by God. Know that your reward is great in heaven. Know that you are saints, and that, one day, you, too, will stand before the throne of the Lamb and will shout with the other heroes of the faith, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!”

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.