There's nothing quite like a good movie to help us forget our troubles. Losing ourselves for a couple of hours in the drama, action, or romance of the characters on screen can inspire our dreams, spur us to action, rouse our ire, and in general ply our emotions in ways that no other art form can. I would guess, however, that few of us are hardy and patient enough to sit all the way through the final credits. Unless you're a die-hard fan, trivia buff, or cinema geek, who really cares who the gaffer, best boy, or key grip were? We know the headliners and for most of us, that's good enough. Those behind the scenes and in the supporting cast, however, are collectively just as important as the A-list stars. Without the best boy, the lighting that made Humphrey Bogart look so ruggedly handsome or Lauren Bacall so glamorous would instead have made everything look garish and tawdry, ruining the whole effect. The same is true of the church's calendar of saints. Most of us know the big stars--the apostles and maybe some of the more famous martyrs and our personal patron saints--but how many of us pay attention to the less noted but just as noteworthy characters who we commemorate throughout the year?

At St. Mark's, we are blessed and fortunate enough to have the resources to celebrate Masses and to publicly recite the Daily Office on most days of the year, and are thus able to observe the sweeping panorama of personalities that make up the communion of saints in the way that the church intended. Until I became an oblate in the Order of Julian of Norwich, however, I must admit to not having paid much attention to the lesser known saints and luminaries observed on weekdays. As it can be argued that Julian of Norwich--the patron of our order whose feast day falls on May 8--is one of the least known saints on the calendar, I was inspired upon my oblate profession to take a closer look at many of these minor (only in the sense that they are less widely known) saints once I discovered how rich their lives and stories are and how much my life as a Christian can be supported and enhanced through knowledge of their words and deeds. There is enough in Julian's, Revelations of Divine Love, for a lifetime of study and inspiration, and the same is true for most of the writings or witness of those whom the church recognizes as holy.

Who would have known, for example, that Alphege of Canterbury--whose commemoration we observe on Friday--was responsible for the construction of an organ that could be heard from a mile away and that required 24 people to operate? Or who, by his refusal to be ransomed from the hands of his Danish captors as Archbishop of Canterbury and his subsequent martyrdom at their hands, would serve as a reminder of Christ's willingness to lay down his life for us, his sheep, to this day? Learning a little about the saint of the day is a wonderful way to get in some scripture reading and discover some interesting bits of church history in easily digestible bite-sized chunks. The calendar at the end of each edition of this newsletter contains links to short biographies, often with a collect and lectionary readings as well. The psalms, readings, and collect are chosen specially for the day, and it is a thought-provoking and fruitful exercise to reflect upon the underlying themes and lessons for our own lives. Attending the Mass of the day allows us to celebrate the life and witness of that saint together as a community and has the added blessing of the wisdom and insight shared with us through the homily delivered by the celebrant. The lives of the saints reflect the whole gamut of human experience and complement the rhythms of the church year as we pass through the liturgical seasons, reminding us of our connection to the cloud of witnesses that surrounds us and supports us with their prayers and intercessions.

All ye holy patriarchs and prophets...
All ye holy apostles and evangelists...
All ye holy disciples of the Lord...
All ye holy martyrs...
All ye holy bishops and confessors...
All ye holy doctors...
All ye holy priests and Levites...
All ye holy monks and hermits...
All ye holy virgins and widows,
Pray for us.

Alleluia, Christ is risen!

Michael Ida, ObJN
Treasurer of St. Mark's