Saint Gregory All Saints Sermon — God is wonderful to his saints. He will give strength and power to his people. Consider the meaning of these prophetic words and try to understand them. The psalm says that God gives strength and power to all his people, for with God there is no partiality; nevethe less it is only in his saints that he fills us with wonder.
The Church of Christ honors even after their death those who have lived a truly godly life. Every day of the year it commemorates the saints who departed hence on that day, leaving this mortal life. It sets the life of each of them before us for our benefit, and also shows us how each died, whether they fell asleep in peace or ended their lives in martyrdom. On this day, however, the Church gathers them all together and sends up a common hymn in their honor.
My brothers and sisters, let us too honor the saints of God. How shall we honor them? By imitating them, by purifying ourselves from every stain of body and spirit, and by ceasing to sin until, by this abstinence, we are brought to a san ity like theirs.
On these festival days at least let us offer God bodies and souls that are acceptable to him, so that we too, by the prayers of the saints, main gain a share in their glory and eternal bliss. May we all attain to this by the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with his eternal Father and the most holy, good and life-giving Spirit belongs glory now and always and for endless ages. Amen
From a sermon by Saint Gregory of Palamas
Saint Gregory was an archbishop of Thessaloniki in the 14th century. He may be best known today for Hesychasm in which peace is sought through uninterrupted Jesus prayer.
Courtesy of Holy Myrrh-Bearers Church of Swarthmore.
Saint Gregory All Saints Sermon
