All Saints

Today, November 1st, we celebrate the Solemnity of All Saints. It is a day when we honor the lives of all saints – those officially recognized by the Church, as well as countless others known only to God. As part of the Apostle’s Creed, we acknowledge our belief in the “communion of saints.” The communion of saints describes the spiritual union that exists among the saints in Heaven, the souls in purgatory, and the faithful living on earth.

We are members of Christ’s one Body, united in His divine life even beyond the grave, and are concerned with one another’s salvation. St. Paul emphasizes this unity in Christ’s Body in 1 Corinthians 12:12-27 and in Romans 12:4-16. St. Paul tells us that death cannot separate Christians from Christ or from one another. In that union, we call for help and support from those who have already won their crown of glory. In our human families we turn to one another requesting prayers. How much more should we turn to the saints in Heaven for their prayers and inspiration. Honor of the saints includes imitation of them, prayers requested of them, and reverence given to them for the holiness that they modeled. All reverence of saints is actually reverence of God, for we are honoring the holiness of God that was made present in their lives. Just as the moon does not give off its own light, but rather reflects the light of the sun, the holiness in the lives of the saints is a reflection of the light of Christ living through them.

Just as Paul asked fellow believers to pray for him (Romans 15:30; Colossians 4:3; Thessalonians 5:25; Ephesians 6:18-19; 2 Thessalonians 3:1), we now ask Paul and all the other saints in Heaven to pray for us. On the Solemnity of All Saints, we celebrate our unity in Christ with all of the saints, joining our prayers to theirs, and using them as role models for ourselves in answering God’s call to salvation and holiness.

On Monday, November 2nd, we will observe the Commemoration of all the Faithful Departed, also known as All Soul’s Day, let us pause to remember those who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith. We offer prayers for all the faithful departed, and particularly for those who have gone before us, but have not yet been admitted into heaven – those in purgatory. The Church teaches that our prayers, acts of charity and sacrifices can assist these souls in being cleansed of their sins, so that they may gain entrance into heaven. Their trust was in the Lord and their hope of eternal life is firmly grounded in the great love and mercy that Jesus has for each of us sinners. Remember what all those who have gone before us in death now know so well – that we are loved by Almighty God!