Today on the church calendar is designated All Saints’ Sunday. It is a time for remembering persons who through the generations have been so outstanding in faith and ministry that their lives have been a special blessing to all who have known them. As someone has said, they have adorned the Gospel of Jesus Christ, though it might be better to say they received the Gospel so fully that it adorned and glorified them.

Who are the saints? How many can you name? Saint Peter? Saint Stephen? Saints Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John? Saint Paul? Saint Barnabas - one of my favorites because his name, meaning Son of Encouragement, so appropriately describes him? Saint Francis of Assissi? Saint Augustine?

The Roman Catholic Church has a long list of those who have been canonized - usually some two hund…