Lives of the saints - exemplars of Christian life
From the earliest days of the Christian community the Church has remembered and treasured the stories of those individuals whose lives reflected the Life of Christ in their own circumstances. From the early sermons describing the faith of the martyrs through the later Lives of the Saints compiled in various communities, these Christians have served as exemplars of the faith lived.
One way to learn how to follow Christ is to read about the lives of those who have followed Him in the past. The Saints remembered in the Anglican tradition are from every possible background - young, old, female, male, married, single, martyrs, missionaries and from every continent, excluding Antarctica. They carried the Gospel to distant lands, served the poor in their own backyards, taught the orphans, wrote theological tombs, composed folk hymns, prophesied to kings, converted emperors, died for their Lord Jesus Christ and went deep into the heart of faith with mystical contemplation that plumbed the greatest depth of God. All of them have one thing in common: they lived the Life of Christ in the circumstances into which they were born and were recognized by their fellow Christians as illuminating something important for the Body of Christ to remember about serving our Lord. All of the saints point us to Christ.
Recommended Reading
Jones, Kathleen The Saints of the Anglican Calendar (Canterbury Press, 2000).
Resources
The approved list of Holy Days and Optional Commemorations currently recognized by the Anglican Church in North America can be found on the Texts for Common Prayer page of the ACNA website under Resources for Liturgy. The currently approved calendar can be downloaded for printing at home in either .pdf or Word format. Here is the link: Texts for Common Prayer
Moral Theology & Ethics
a. Ability to identify morally relevant information in a situation b. Evaluate using 3 methods: consequences, rules, character/virtue c. Resources from scripture & tradition d. Lives of the saints - exemplars of Christian life e. Mandated Reporter f. Individual & corporate g. Pastoral implications h. Sacrament of confession i. Cure of Souls j. Contemporary Moral Issues
