Canon Rodier speaks of “Christianity and what it is to walk in the path of righteousness, which is a path of love. So on this day when we join in with all of the saints among us who have gone before us, when we look forward to our own triumph in heaven where we will bear the palm of victory, when we realize we are compassed about by such a great cloud of witnesses, that we too can be strengthened by their prayers and their encouragement as we run the race that is set before us.”

greek orthodox theologian friend beatitudes recited in Russian orthodox church Slavik liturgy the beatitudes recited in every eucharist seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the first seven beatitudes close correlation