CHURCH IN FOCUS:
Feast of All Saints
01 November 2011

The Solemnity of All the Saints is celebrated on the first of November in the Western Church by the Roman Catholics, Lutherans, Anglicans and the Orthodox Churches observe it on the first Sunday after Pentecost. The Feast of All Saints is a holy day of the Church to remember and honour all Christian saints, known and unknown. While we have information about many saints, and we honour them on specific days, there are many unknown or unsung saints, who may have been forgotten, or never been specifically honoured. On All Saints Day, we celebrate these saints of the Lord, and ask for their prayers and intercessions. The whole concept of All Saints Day is tied in with the concept of the Communion of Saints. This is the belief that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification, are connected in a communion a special bond in Jesus. In other words, Catholic and Orthodox Christians believe that the saints of God are just as alive like any human person and are constantly interceding on our behalf. The saints are not divine, or omnipresent or omniscient. However, because of our communion with and through Jesus Christ, we are joined with the heavenly community of Christians.
Saints, broadly speaking, are those who follow Jesus Christ and live their lives according to his teaching. The word "saint" literally means "holy," and, in the New Testament, "saint" referred to all who believed in Jesus Christ and baptized in his name. St. Paul often addressed his epistles to "the saints" of a particular city, and the Acts of the Apostles talks about St. Peter going to visit the saints in Lydda. The assumption was that those who followed Christ had been so transformed that they were now different from other men and women and, thus, should be considered holy. Very early on, however, the meaning of the word began to change. As Christianity began to spread, it became clear that some Christians lived lives of extraordinary, or heroic, virtue. While other Christians struggled to live out the gospel of Christ, these people were eminent examples of the moral virtues, and they easily practiced the theological virtues of faith, hope, and charity. The word "saint" thus became more narrowly applied to such people, who were venerated after their deaths as saints, usually by the members of their local Church or the Christians in the region where they lived, because they were familiar with their good deeds.
Eventually, the Catholic Church created a process, called Beatification and Canonization, through which such venerable people could be recognized as saints by all Christians everywhere. Beatification is the act by which the Pope permits the restricted public veneration after death of a Christian who lived an exemplary life of holiness. Normally, the person in question had to have performed one attested miracle. Those beatified receive the title "Blessed." Only those beatified are eligible for Sainthood. Most of the holy persons whom we refer to by the title Saint have gone through this process of canonization. Others, such as St. Peter and St. Paul, received the title through acclamation, or the universal recognition of their holiness. Canonisation means an official act of a Christian church declaring a deceased member worthy of veneration and entering his or her name in the canon or authorized list of saints. Because miracles have been associated with these people, and their lives have been fully examined and found holy by the Church, we can be assured they are prime examples of holiness, and powerful intercessors before God on our behalf. There are also many patron saints, guardians or protectors of different areas and states of life. Christians have been honouring their saints and martyrs since at least the second century AD. The Martyrdom of Polycarp, probably written near the middle of the second century, attests to this reality.
This feast of All Saints arose out of the Christian tradition of celebrating the martyrdom of saints on the anniversary of their death. When martyrdoms increased during the persecutions of the late Roman Empire, local dioceses instituted a common feast day in order to ensure that all martyrs, known and unknown were properly honoured. From the early days the Church has always honoured those early witnesses to the Christian faith who have died in the Lord. The word witness in Greek language means martyr. During the first three hundred years Christians were persecuted, often suffering torture and bloody death because of their fidelity to their belief. They refused to deny Christ, even when this denial might have saved their own lives, or the lives of their children and families. The early history of the Church is filled with stories of the heroic faith of these of witnesses to Christ's truth. The stories of these saints these baptized Christians of all ages and all states in life, whose fidelity and courage led to their sanctity or holiness -- have provided models for every other Christian throughout history.
The earliest certain observance of a feast in honour of all the saints is an early fourth-century commemoration of "all the martyrs." In the early seventh century, after successive waves of invaders plundered the catacombs, Pope Boniface IV gathered up some 28 wagonloads of bones and reinterred them beneath the Pantheon, a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods. The pope rededicated the shrine as a Christian church. According to Venerable Bede, the pope intended "that the memory of all the saints might in the future be honoured in the place which had formerly been dedicated to the worship not of gods but of demons." But the rededication of the Pantheon, like the earlier commemoration of all the martyrs, occurred in May. Many Eastern Churches still honour all the saints in the spring, either during the Easter season or immediately after Pentecost. The pope re-buried the bones of many martyrs there, and dedicated this Church to the Mother of God and all the Holy Martyrs on May 13, 610. About a hundred years later, Pope Gregory III consecrated a new chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter to all saints and not just to the martyrs on November 1 and he fixed the anniversary of this dedication as the date of the feast. A century after that, Pope Gregory IV extended the celebration of All Saints to November 1 for the entire Church. It is a principal feast of the Catholic Church. It is a holy day of obligation for Catholics.
The feast of All Saints achieved great prominence in the ninth century, in the reign of the Byzantine Emperor, Leo VI, the Wise, as he was called. His wife, Empress Theophano whose feast is commemorated on December 16, lived a devout life. After her death, her husband built a church, intending to dedicate it to her. When he was forbidden to do so, he decided to dedicate it to "All Saints," so that if his wife were in fact one of the righteous, she would also be honoured whenever the feast was celebrated. According to tradition, it was Leo who expanded the feast from a commemoration of All Martyrs to a general commemoration of All Saints, whether martyrs or not. However, there is some difference in their celebration of the feast. For Roman Catholics, the Orthodox, and to some extent, Anglicans, All Saints is a day to remember, thank God for, but also to venerate and pray to the saints in heaven for various helps. For Lutherans the day is observed by remembering and thanking God for all saints, both dead and living. It is a day to glorify Jesus Christ, who by his holy life and death has made the saints holy through Baptism and faith.
The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines a saint as "a disciple who has lived a life of exemplary fidelity to the Lord". Strictly speaking this definition applies not only to those dead but also to those living and experiencing the closeness to Christ. It indicates that all Christians are called saints as the Church is Holy and her members are called "saints." However, the teaching indicates that by canonizing some of the faithful, meaning, by solemnly proclaiming that they practiced heroic virtue and lived in fidelity to God's grace, the Church recognizes the power of the Spirit of holiness within her and sustains the hope of believers by proposing the saints to them as models and intercessors. The saints have always been the source and origin of renewal in the most difficult moments in the Church's history. Indeed, holiness is the hidden source and infallible measure of her apostolic activity and missionary zeal. On the other hand, the same Catechism often gives the impression that all believers, living and dead are part of the "communion of saints."
In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honoured with great respect the memory of the dead; and, according to the Book of Maccabees "because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins" she offers her suffrages for them. The Church has always believed that the apostles and Christ's martyrs, who gave the supreme witness of faith and charity by the shedding of their blood, are closely united with us in Christ. At first, the anniversaries of the martyrs were observed, and then Mary and others such as confessors who practiced outstanding piety, bravery or poverty were honoured in a special way. When we celebrate the Eucharistic sacrifice we are most closely united to the worship of the heavenly Church; when in the fellowship of communion we honour and remember the glorious Mary ever virgin, St Joseph, the holy apostles and martyrs and all the saints.
In his Homily Pope Benedict XVI says that the real meaning of this Solemnity is looking at the shining example of the Saints to reawaken within us the great longing to be like them; happy to live near God, in his light, in the great family of God's friends. Being a Saint means living close to God, to live in his family. This is the vocation of us all, vigorously reaffirmed by the Second Vatican Council and solemnly proposed today for our attention. We too can be holy says the Holy Father, first of all by listening to Jesus and then to follow him without losing heart when faced with difficulties. Jesus tells us that if anyone wishes to serves him, he must follow him; and where he is, there shall his servant be also; if any one serves him, the Father will honour him. The Church's experience shows that every form of holiness, even if it follows different paths, always passes through the Way of the Cross, the way of self-denial. The Saints' biographies describe men and women who, docile to the divine plan, sometimes faced unspeakable trials and suffering, persecution and martyrdom. They persevered in their commitment and their names are written in the book of life and Heaven is their eternal dwelling-place.
The Pontiff further says that the example of the Saints encourages us to follow in their same footsteps and to experience the joy of those who trust in God, for the one true cause of sorrow and unhappiness for men and women is to live far from him. Holiness demands a constant effort, but it is possible for everyone because, rather than a human effort, it is first and foremost a gift of God, thrice Holy. Consequently, the more we imitate Jesus and remain united to him the more we enter into the mystery of his divine holiness. We discover that he loves us infinitely, and this prompts us in turn to love our brethren. Loving always entails an act of self-denial, "losing ourselves", and it is precisely this that makes us happy. The Beatitudes show us the spiritual features of Jesus and thus express his mystery, the mystery of his death and Resurrection, of his passion and of the joy of his Resurrection. This mystery, which is the mystery of true blessedness, invites us to follow Jesus and thus to walk toward it.
Today's Holy Day, the Feast of All Saints, raises up before our eyes not just the famous canonized saints recognized in the Church’s yearly calendar, but all those other holy ones whose lives were dedicated to God and the establishment of His Kingdom here on earth. This new family will certainly include those closely known to us, namely our own parents, our grandparents, as well as those members of our families who sacrificed their own comfort and resources in order that we might have our Catholic Faith. They are the educators who taught us about Jesus Christ, about the Sacraments and the life of God we receive in Mass and Holy Communion. They are our friends who supported us in our choices to do what is decent, what is good, what is pure, and what is noble and best. They are the priests who inspired us, prayed for us, and prayed with us. They are people who lived down the street and dropped everything to come and help us, and to care for us when we were sick, or when we were in trouble.
Speaking on holiness, many tend to think that only extraordinary people are holy people, and the holiness is meant for such persons. Perhaps that's a way of defending against the idea that God asking us to be holy too. Or we think that the holy people are those special ones in monasteries and convents, praying and remaining silent or moving with little birds fluttering around like St. Francis of Assisi. That, however, is not the way God sees it. The Book of Revelations, tells us that a huge throng, so many they cannot be numbered, all of them clothed in the white robes of sanctity and holding the palm branches of victory in their hands. The saints, as God sees them are innumerable. The church teaches us that God's call for holiness is universal. Everyone is called to live in God’s love and make His love real in the lives of those around them. However remarkable Mother Teresa of Calcutta's life was it was lived in the streets among the teeming populace of Calcutta. Holiness is related to the word wholesomeness. It means living whole lives, lives of integrity and truth, wholesome and integrated lives in which we are close to others while being close with God. It means forgiving others when they injure us; it means not holding grudges against them. To live a life of holiness means that one gives up clinging to one's prejudices, resentments, and the desire to get even with others.
On this Solemnity the church remembers all those holy persons who faithfully followed Christ and lived his teaching have gone to him for their eternal reward. We also remember thousands and thousands of early Christian martyrs, the majority of whose names are known only to God and throughout the history of the Church there have been countless others who really are saints, who are with God in heaven, even if their names are not on the list of canonized saints. On this feast day the Church wants to commemorate and honour the memory of these unnamed saints, and recalls their example and therefore dedicates a special feast day for all who have died and gone before us into the presence of the Lord. This feast indicated the holiness that is contained in the manifestation of our faith in the Church.

Fr. Eugene Lobo S.J.