The Feast of All Saints is, just that. A celebration of all the saints -- all the holy men and women who have died and gone on to heaven before us. These are men and women whose lives have been examined by the Catholic Church and found to be holy examples, worthy of imitation. In short, these are those who have been canonized by the Church as Saints. Of course, the Church views all Christians as saints inasmuch as we are children of God, but the people who we celebrate on this special feast day are those who are saints with a capital S and have the title of Saint (abbreviated St.) in front of their name.
Because all of these people are important in the history of the Church and have a special role within the Body of Christ, this is a very important feast day. It is so important that it is a Holy Day of Obligation and Catholics are obligated to attend Mass that day.
Even though all the saints are special, they are as varied and unique as non-canonized saints and those of us who are still living. They have been doctors, nurses, teachers, mothers, fathers, scientists, popes, bishops, nuns, monks, priests, children, husbands, wives, martyrs, virgins, kings, queens, servants, nobles, and the poorest of the poor. They have come from every race, most every culture, and many nations across the globe. They are a truly representative cross-section of humanity and as such, certain saints appeal to some people while others saints appeal to others. Of course, the big commonality amongst all the saints is their love and devotion to God and their service to Him with their lives. And that is something we're all called to do as Christians -- love God and love our neighbour.
Their varied lives, experiences, and backgrounds are why the Church assigns each saint a particular patronage that is reflective of some facet of that saint's life. For example, the recently canonized Pope St. John Paul II instituted World Youth Day during his papacy and as such, he has been designated as one of two patrons of World Youth Day (Blessed Theresa of Calcutta is the other one).
Here's some links to some more information on this Feast of All Saints:
- The irrepressibly hilarious and insightful Simcha Fisher talks about why she loves certain saints, why she isn't a fan of others, and why that's perfectly okay
- Ever wondered just how many canonized saints there are? Stephen Beale at Catholic Exchange gives an answer.
- Lacy Rabideau at the blog Catholic Icing gives some great ideas for celebrating All Saints Day with kids -- including costumes, treats (I love the Saintly Stigmata Sandwiches!), crafts, games, and more!
- A recording of my favourite hymn for All Saints Day which inspired this series' title -- "For All the Saints" as sung by the Choir of King's College Cambridge, complete with lyrics.
Do you celebrate All Saints Day in your faith tradition?
If so, what do you do to celebrate or honor the saints on this special day?
If not, have you ever heard of or do you know of a particular saint that you identify with or that intrigues you?
Let me know in the comments below!
We read each name and tolled a bell after each name was read.
ReplyDeleteWe do something similar at every weekend Mass during the month of November. The whole month of November is, for Catholics, a month of remembrance of the dead. We pray for the happy repose of the souls of the departed and for the comfort of their loved ones left behind. Our parish reads a list of all the people who have died in the past year from our parish at each weekend Mass during November.
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