In
the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our
Confession approves honors to the saints. For here a threefold honor
is to be approved. The first is thanksgiving. For we ought to give
thanks to God because He has shown examples of mercy; because He has
shown that He wishes to save men; because He has given teachers or
other gifts to the Church. And these gifts, as they are the greatest,
should be amplified, and the saints themselves should be praised, who
have faithfully used these gifts, just as Christ praises faithful
business-men, (Matt.
25:21,
23).
The second service is the strengthening of our faith; when we see the
denial forgiven Peter, we also are encouraged to believe the more
that grace truly superabounds over sin, (Rom.
5:20).
The third honor is the imitation, first, of faith, then of the other
virtues, which every one should imitate according to his calling.
Apology
of the Augsburg Confession,
Art. XXI:4-6
On this
day, we honor the memory of the blessed saints who have gone before
us in the faith. So, it is only fitting that we should consider in
what manner we ought to remember them.
