All Saints Day and Its' Importance to Us

“All Saints Day” is a feast traditionally celebrated on November 1^st of every year in our Western Church.  Keep in mind that the development of the actual universal Solemnity of All Saints may be somewhat confusing and hard to trace.  Why do we suggest this?  Because, keep in mind that various local churches celebrated their own “local” versions of All Saints Day from the earliest centuries.  One of the earliest origins of what has come to be known as All Saints Day dates all the way back to around the year 609 when Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Mother and all the Martyrs of the Church.  This feast of All Saints was celebrated on May 13^th, though.  But even prior to this, we can see Church Fathers such as St. John Chystostom, for example, who assigned a date to commemorate a day in honor of All Saints.  His date was not set as November 1^st as we know it, though.  It was celebrated on the First Sunday after Pentecost, where it is still celebrated in Eastern Churches to this day.   It was about the time of Pope Gregory III where the celebration of All Saints was commemorated  on November 1^st.  Prior to this, as mentioned earlier, various churches in various countries around the world celebrated their own All Saints day at various dates throughout the year.   The point that we need to focus on in pointing out this brief history of sorts for All Saints Day is that Christians throughout the world were interested in celebrating and commemorating those Christians who had gone before them.  Again, this is not a new feast, in other words.  It is an ancient practice dating back to the earliest centuries of the church.   Many need to bear in mind that not only Roman Catholics and Orthodox but also Anglicans as well as even Lutherans and Methodists also celebrate All Saints Day.  Which now leads us into the importance and the underlying meaning of the Feast of All Saints to the Church in general and us as individuals.

"Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God." (Ephesians 2:19)

I have a wonderful group of friends.  Well, I think that I do.  And you probably do as well.   I know that if I am ever in trouble, I can go to them.    If I ever need a shoulder to cry on, they are there always waiting to listen.  If I have a prayer intention, no matter how large or small, they are ready and willing to pray and take my intentions to God.  If I ever need inspiration, I can just look to them and be inspired by their stories of devotion and heroism for God.  I have many wonderful friends . . . . St. Gemma . . . . and St. Jude . . . . and St. Philomena . . . . St. John Neumann  . . . .  St. Margaret of Scotland . . . .  These friends which I have just mentioned and so many more that have inspired me over the years . . . . these friends that I am referring to are the saints in Heaven and we make a special remembrance of them on November 1st . . . .  All Saints Day.

It stands to reason that if we have a problem, we will more than likely turn to a friend.  If we need someone to pray for us, we will sent out a prayer request and invite friend and stranger alike to pray for us and our intention.  If we need emotional support, we will again turn to those who care for us:  our friends, our loved ones, those who care about us.   We can turn to them because we can trust them.  There are those people in our life which care for us and expect nothing in return.  These dear souls only want the best for us.  Whether they be parents, . . .  or grandparents, . . .  aunts . . .  uncles . . . . teachers . . . . .  These individuals show love and support to us and expect nothing in return because they only want the best for us.  That is their reward.  This is called "Unconditional love."  So, too, the Saints in Heaven have our best intentions at heart because they want to see the best for us; namely, they want us to have a better relationship with Our Heavenly Father.

"Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worth to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man." (St. Luke 21:36)

Our Lord's advice to the early apostles is the same advice which He prescribes for all of us:  Pray!  Prayer is the greatest weapon that any of us can ever hope to possess.   When I was a young priest . . . . well, actually even before when I was still a deacon . . . . and then further on after I had been ordained as a priest,  I had the great fortune of knowing a wonderful bishop.   Bishop James Mote was his name.   Well, I learned a great deal being in the presence of Bishop Mote.   One of the sayings which I would hear him speak frequently was:  "Play dirty and pray!"  Many people did not have a clue as to what exactly was meant when he said this.  But those who knew Bishop Mote knew exactly what he meant.  When we pray, we have a direct line to the Almighty.  When we pray, we are in communication with Our Heavenly Father.  When we pray, we have faith that things will happen.  Things will indeed happen when we pray.  Sometimes even we will change.   Bishop Mote knew all things are possible when we pray.  He knew that miraculous things happen when we pray.  And he knew that change will take place . . . . even if it is us that changes.

"Pray without ceasing." (I Thessalonians 5:17)

The saints in Heaven provide for us something to aspire to.  When I say that, of course I mean that we can look at their example:  their faithfulness to God and constant prayers.  The saints inspire us to greatness, quite frankly, when we read their various stories.  Great men and women throughout history.  Whether they be Kings and Queens or whether they be common, ordinary people like you or I.   All the saints in Heaven have one thing in common:  their love for God ultimately was their greatest desire.  And isn't this what all of us are called to?  Our love for Our Heavenly Father should motivate us in everything that we do in life.  Our love for God should influence how we interact with others around us . . . how we treat people . . . . how we view people.  So often in life, we are simply motivated solely by selfish desires:  for food . . . for wealth . . .  for possessions . . . for riches.   The saints are motivated by their love for God and the desire to do His will.  

November 1st,  All Saints Day, provides the Church with ample opportunity to honor those who have inspired us by their lives.  The saints have provided each one of us an example of those that have gone before us and what motivated them:  namely, their love for God.  The saints in Heaven, whether they were great kings or queens . . . whether they were powerful leaders or soldiers . . . . whether they were humble, ordinary people just like you and I . . . . each one of these friends in Heaven provide us with an example of drawing closer to God.  Each one of us is invited by God to have a relationship with Him.  The saints accepted this invitation.  The saints made their lives a witness of faithfulness to God.   So, too, we should follow their example and lead a faithful life devoted to God and being God's witnesses here in this world.