Julie's Jottings for November

A Season of Memory, Gratitude, and Hope

Remembrance is a recurring theme in November. On All Saints’ Day, All Souls’ Day, and Remembrance Day, we reflect on stories of faith, of people we love and miss and finally we are invited to share civic gratitude by committing ourselves to serve the common good.

All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day have been observed for most of the Church’s history. On All Saints’ Day we remember all those saints who left a name, whose work everyone knows something about: St Peter, St Paul, St Francis and many more. The saints who have inspired generations remind us of the extraordinary potential for faith and courage within human nature.

Then on All Souls’ Day we remember ‘the faithful departed’: the ordinary people whose mark on the world is less renowned, but who made their mark on us. Together, these days honour both the lives that changed history and the quiet lives that shaped us and who we are now.

As the season turns to Remembrance Day, our collective focus expands to those who lost their lives in times of conflict. Here, memory becomes a solemn call to responsibility. As the late Chief Rabbi, Lord Jonathan Sacks, observed:

"We remember not to look back, but to look forward; not to dwell on past grief, but to acknowledge the debt we owe to those who gave their lives so that we might live ours in freedom and peace. We honour them by taking up their legacy: to build a world where we work together, across our differences, to serve the common good and protect the future of those we love. They gave us tomorrow; our task is to make that tomorrow worthy of their gift."

This enduring commitment finds its sharpest resolve in the Kohima Epitaph:

"When you go home, tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow, we gave our today."

Ultimately, whether moved by the saints, grounded by loved ones, or humbled by the fallen, our acts of remembering direct us to think of how we can build a better future in their honour. Rev Canon Dr Julie Norris

Reflection for October

We celebrate the Feast Day of St Luke on October 18th

Saint Luke, one of the four evangelists – the writers of the Gospels, was rather the odd man out. He was not Jewish, he was a gentile, a doctor by profession, Greek, a convert to Christianity from Antioch in Syria. He was not one of the original twelve apostles.  He had never met with Jesus Christ, but he enquired most assiduously of those who did know Him as he compiled a record of Jesus, life and of His divine nature. For years Luke travelled with Paul, and with him would have had time and opportunity to develop on what he had already discovered, and to identify and speak to others in the early church who would share their stories with him.  His Gospel contains highly detailed descriptions of Jesus' early life, the Annunciation, and Mary's visit to Elizabeth. Historians and tradition suggest that Luke knew Mary personally and heard these stories directly from her. Luke also wrote the Acts of the Apostles which documents the growth and history of the early Christian Church guided by the Holy Spirit.

 Luke’s Gospel was, not surprisingly, written for gentiles, for people just like ourselves. He focuses deeply on mercy, forgiveness, and compassion for the poor, for outcasts, and for sinners. Scholars often call his work the "Gospel of Women" because he frequently highlights marginalized figures, female disciples, and widows. He uniquely features famous parables which describe Jesus's mercy and compassion, such as the Good Samaritan, (10:25-37) and the Prodigal Son, (15:11-32). 

The story of the Prodigal Son is quite exceptional. The boy having thrown away his money and being totally at a loss, decides to go back to his father. “Forgive me father, I have sinned against Heaven and against you”.  Did his father start by giving him a well-deserved telling him off? No! He embraced him, covered him with a cloak, put the family ring on his finger and ordered a celebration. Jesus said, “I tell you that there will be more rejoicing in Heaven over one sinner who repents, than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent”, (15:7).   Frederick Faber’s hymn “There’s a wideness in God’s mercy” says it all: 
                                               
                                                    For the love of God is broader
                                                     Than the measure of man’s mind;
                                                     And the heart of the Eternal
                                                     Is most wonderfully kind.               
 
Thanks be to God. Amen.                                                                                                                                                                       David Peacock