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Morning Meditation for the Season of Easter
May 12, 2026
Reading: Ephesians 1:15-23
I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.
Meditation by Glenn Beamer
Paul’s letter to the Ephesians reveals his confidence that we can find our paths to God’s enlightenment, love, and glory. Paul acknowledges the Ephesians’ love toward saints, which is striking given the youth of the church and the likelihood that Paul may have been referring to saints living among us. In the two thousand years since Paul wrote, Christian denominations have diverged widely in their canonization practices, recognition of saints, and incorporation of saints into their liturgies and faith practices.
The Roman Catholic Church retains its formal process of beatification and canonization, and it adheres to thresholds established centuries ago. Today some Catholics have expressed concerns about the relative rapidity with which their church beatifies and canonizes individuals. In contrast, some protestant denomination resolutely abstains from recognizing and especially praying to saints. As expected our Episcopal tradition is carefully middling. We recognize saints who were honored by the ancient church before the reformation such as Saint Francis of Assisi and Saint Augustine, but many parishes would include modern saints such as Clara Barton or John Lewis.
When I was nineteen and enrolled in the Catholic Church’s Order of Christian Initiation for Adults, our W&M campus priest recommended that we look beyond the church’s institutional processes and find saints, living and dead, in our own lives who brought God’s grace to us and inspired us to heed God’s call to serve. Father Ron called it “building your treasury of faith.” I found this recommendation cogent and in the forty years since then have kept a journal of individuals who I have found to be saints in my life. Some of these people I have known well and long, some I have briefly encountered, and some I have never met but admire the grace with which they have led their lives. All of them have revealed God’s redemptive, forgiving love for us. Retaining this journal provides a foundation for prayers of gratitude and for directing my prayer away from my own anxious desires and toward a more thoughtful search and discernment.
To have a treasury of faith and identify the saints among us doesn’t lead to idolatry or false prophecy. It recognizes the forces for good in our communities and contemplates how to extend and build upon those forces.
Daily Prayer – Give Thanks for All the Saints
Thank you for the hardworking saints—those who loved in daily service,
Whose hands were stained with labor but whose hearts were pure.
Thank you for the examples of wisdom, dedication, and grace that I have witnessed through them.
Whether they are still with me or have gone before me to heaven,
I thank you that their mark on my life remains as a gift of your love.
- Missionary Society of Saint Columban
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