Sunday, November 1, 2026
“We sing for all the unsung saints, / That countless, nameless throng, / Who kept the faith and passed it on / With hope steadfast and strong / Through all the daily griefs and joys / No chronicles record, / Forgetful of their lack of fame, / But mindful of their Lord.”
We often use the term “saint” to refer to believers who have gone to heaven ahead of us, but all believers who still live on earth are also saints. Saints are God’s holy people, those who by faith in Jesus are righteous in the sight of God and set apart for service to Him (see 1 Peter 2:9). We know the names of many biblical saints, for example, Peter, James, John, and Paul. Saints include the faithful women who loved and followed Jesus, such as Mary, the mother of our Lord, Mary and Martha, Elizabeth, and Mary Magdalene. Scripture tells us the stories of these saints, describing their joy in the Lord and sometimes even their sins. We honor them and look to them as examples of faithful living. There are other faithful believers named in Scripture, such as Phoebe, Rufus, Urbanus, and Hermas (see Romans 16:1-14). We do not know much about these saints, but they too loved and served their Lord.
Many saints were martyred for their faith, including Stephen, the first to die for Jesus, and the disciple James, who was murdered by King Herod. There were countless other martyrs too, whose deaths are recorded in the tradition of the church. We give the title of “saint” to great theologians of later centuries, such as Augustine and Jerome. Today, on All Saints Day, we remember and honor saints we have known personally, members of our families and Christian communities, faithful believers who taught us about Jesus and who, by the example of their lives, showed us how to walk, as they did, in the Savior’s footsteps.
There are others too, the countless “unsung saints” whose names and stories are not known to us. They were of course known to their families and fellow believers, but their faithful lives were never recorded for future generations. With patience and hope they “kept the faith and passed it on.” These saints lived, as we do, “through all the daily griefs and joys,” all the while clothed by faith in Jesus’ holiness. We may not know the names of these saints, but our Lord knows. He laid down His life and rose up from death to save them and to save us all. These faithful saints were not concerned at all about remaining unknown to history. They were known and loved by their Lord, and that was enough for them. They lived each day as we hope to live, “forgetful of their lack of fame, but mindful of their Lord.”
WE PRAY: Lord, keep me mindful of You and lead me to follow in the faithful steps of saints who have come before me. Amen.
This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Carol Geisler. It is based on the hymn, “We Sing for All the Unsung Saints,” which is number 678 in the Lutheran Service Book.
Reflection Questions: