By the Rev Patrick Bateman, of All Saints Parish Church, Ilkley.

Celebration and remembering form a significant part of my thinking at the moment. We have just had our All Saints’ celebrations joined by Toby, the Bishop of Bradford. In our church tradition we regard anyone who is a Christian believer (living or departed) from any Christian denomination as a Saint - that’s a lot of Saints’! They don’t become Saints because of their achievements, neither are they excluded because of their failings - its all about God’s undeserved grace, freely given to all who put their faith in Jesus.

Next Sunday evening we hold a service to remember and pray with those who have lost loved ones. Then on Remembrance Sunday when call to mind the courage and sacrifice of people most of us will never know who have helped to shape our world. We live in a fragile world order where it is important who has their finger on the trigger for weapons of mass destruction. I am sure you, like me, are praying fervently that the citizens of the USA to exercise their vote wisely.

Whilst it is imperative for Christians to pray for all those in authority it is also good to remember those who may not have had a huge profile or wide influence but who have has a profound influence on our lives. I remember one such Saint from nearly 20 years ago, Vera, a widow in her early 80’s. She and her husband had lived and worked in some very challenging places with the London City Mission. Vera remembered her husband with great affection and used to say on numerous occasions, face shining, I so long to join him in 'glory'. She could not wait to meet God face to face and had the deep conviction that was where she would find her husband too. What was remarkable about her was that she was also filled with joy for everyday life. She would say that she did not do much but I know she could not help gossiping about her faith in Jesus, especially at bus stops, in a natural and compelling way. The other thing she did was to knit jumpers which would be ready for all the new born babies in our church, praying for them as God stitched these babies together in their mothers wombs.

Many truly extraordinary people would not think that they did much. In this season of remembering lets call to mind those, living and departed, that have a positive and profound influence on us. This prayer is prayed at our 8am Book of Common Prayer every week, inspired by those who have gone to glory…

"And we bless thy holy name for all thy servants [departed this life in thy faith and fear]; beseeching thee to give us grace to follow their good examples, that we like them might be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom."