Oh When The Saints

This morning the three Kindergarten classes of Trinity hosted their annual All Saints Day celebrations.  Each Kindergartener was assigned a saint, and during the service had to stand up and explain who they were and why they were special.  The aim, for the school, was to help the young children know and understand the lives of men and women who have modelled grace by faith, and is part of their commitment to "enliven the soul" of every child that they teach.

"I was a good queen and mother.  I shared my home with orphans.

My name is Saint Margaret."

Toots was Saint Margaret of Scotland.  What do you mean you've never heard of her despite your Scottish heritage and education?!?  Well, neither had we (though of course German born and bred Oma knew her Scottish history...).

Anyway, Queen Margaret of Scotland was an English princess who escaped to Scotland after a new king conquered England.  King Malcolm of Scotland fell in love with her, and made her his queen. Margaret modelled great virtue for everyone, showing her husband the right way to live.  Following her example, they prayed together, and they fed the poor and orphans with their own hands.  Margaret also established a ferry across the Firth of Forth for pilgrims travelling to Dunfermline Abbey, which gave the towns of South and North Queensferry their names.  Margaret was the mother of three kings of Scotland, and was canonised in 1250 by Pope Innocent IV in recognition of her personal holiness, fidelity to the Church, work for religious reform, and charity.

A class of saints

With best friend, Saint Agnes

This year Trinity also created All Saints 'trading cards' for each child.  The cards include the child's picture, the picture of the saint that the child portrayed, and short biography of the saint.  It is hoped that the cards will prompt discussion about men and women of faith, and if not, at least they'll be something to remember their year of Kindergarten at the school!

"I sing a song of the saints of God,

Patient and brave and true,

Who toiled and fought and lived and died 

For the Lord they loved and knew.

And one was a doctor, and one was a queen,

And one was a shepherdess on the green;

They were all of them saint of God, and I mean,

God helping, to be one too.

They loved their Lord so dear, so dear,

And his love made them strong;

And they followed the right for Jesus' sake

The whole of their good lives long.

And one was a soldier, and one was a priest,

And one was slain by a fierce wild beast;

And there's not any reason, no, not in the least,

Why I shouldn't be one too.

They lived not only in ages past,

There are hundreds of thousands still.

The world is bright with the joyous saints

Who love to do Jesus' will.

You can meet them in school, or in lanes, or at sea,

In church, or in trains, or in shops, or at tea;

For the saints of God are just folk like me,

And I mean to be one too.