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The liturgy of the word in our Sunday worship is nowadays based on the Revised common Lectionary, a very rich resource and wonderful way to read the Bible in a sensible way: reading through the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke in a three year cycle, with the gospel of John incorporated during Lent and Eastertide. Old Testament readings are set for each Sunday which shed light on or are related to the continuous readings from the gospels, a most stimulating way of looking at the Old Testament. Readings from the New Testament writings are included in sequence, and readings from the Acts of the Apostles replace the OId Testament Readings in Eastertide.

Because this lectionary is so rewarding, we are reluctant to break the sequence of readings more than is necessary. Consequently the celebration of saints' days on Sundays is much less frequent than the older Episcopalians among us can remember from the past. In some respects, this is a pity, because the celebration of the saints has always been a distinguishing feature of Episcopalian faith and practice.

I am proposing to make amends for this to an extent by providing for the Newsletter short pieces on the saints as they appear in the church Calendar for the period approximately covered by each Newsletter. It is proposed that some of them will also appear in the Magazine.

I hope that this will help to stimulate prayer and meditation, and offer interesting insights into the marvellous contribution to the Christian life offered by those included in our Calendar.

O God, the King of Saints,
we praise and magnify your holy Name
for all your servants who have finished their course in your faith and fear,
for the Blessed Virgin Mary,
for the holy Patriarchs, Prophets, Apostles and Martyrs,
and for all others who have served you well;
and we pray that, encourages by their example,
strengthened by their fellowship,
and aided by their prayers,
we may we may come finally to everlasting life;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(Scottish Prayer Book 1929, pp351-2, text modernised)