November 24, 2013

Holiness in Action

James Otis Sargent Huntington was a man who believed in life — religious life to be exact; but a religious life lived not in isolation from his fellow pilgrims, but with and among them, in a community consisting not only of the monastics, but of those among whom they served. It is fitting that his feast day is observed in the Episcopal Church not on the day of his death, but on the anniversary of his making life vows on November 25, 1884.

James was a major player in the development of religious life in the Episcopal tradition and context, part of that burgeoning interest in the late 19th century, a flowering of Anglo-Catholic social consciousness and Christian socialism — views not nourished at the bosom of Marx, but perhaps of St Mark, an example of the dangerous power of the Gospel when taken seriously and put into practice.

God be praised for the faithful work of this servant of Christ.

Tobias Stanislas Haller BSG

1 comment:

  1. John JulianNovember 25, 2013

    "Father Huntington belongs to the order of cranks,and is in a fair way of doing as much mischief as one man can readily do in this world." The words of a Toronto newspaper when Blessed James declared that private ownership of land was sinful! I like it that the founder of a religious community was also a Union-supporting, pro-labor, anti-Captialist left winger. What a gift he was to the Church!

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