November is THE month for saints and sinners. In addition to the great feast of All Saints with which we begin on 1 November, there are a host of lesser celebrations of a more local or specialized nature. Today we recall all who have found in the Rule of St Benedict a path to holiness. They are a great encouragement to those of us still firmly among the sinners and slowcoaches stumbling along the way of God's commandments.

Here at Hendred this is also Oblate Day when we invite our oblates and associates throughout the world to renew their oblate promises. A few will be with us as welcome David to begin his oblate novitiate. As he can't be with us in person, we shall be admitting him via cyberlink; but we have warned him that doesn't mean he'll be let off the 'few choice words" from the prioress!

It has been a challenging week for all people of faith. The spread of cholera in Haiti, the murder of Christians in Iraq and elsewhere, the turbulence experienced by some of our Anglican friends, none of these can be dismissed with an easy "God is in his heaven and all's well with the world". As always, our response must always be one of prayer and action. Prayer, because without prayer we are in danger of getting things wrong, of assuming that we know what needs to be done and how, of presuming upon God; action, because a failure to translate good intentions into deeds is a sin of omission of the cruellest kind. Nothing new in any of that, but as Dr Johnson was wont to remark, we need to be reminded more often than we need to be told.