Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
As October comes to an end (yet another month gone by too fast!), we come to All Hallow’s Eve, the vigil of the great solemnity of All Saints. While Halloween in America tends to go a spooky route, as Catholics our celebration of the saints is quite important. Look around your neighborhood, and you will see mock graveyards, giant skeletons, and any number of other reminders of death. These decorations are meant to give us a sense of the eerie, and touch that very natural fear of death that is so often present in our hearts and minds. But should we view death and the things surrounding death as deeply frightening? This is where the Solemnity of All Saints comes in.
All Saints Day calls upon us to remember that article of the Creed, “I believe in the communion of saints.” The saints are those who in their lives show us what it is to live not only for this world, but with an eye to eternity. Eternal life is our great hope, and the witness of countless saints reminds us of the heaven for which we hope. The saints live the unity of the vertical and horizontal dimensions of our humanity. Vertical, meaning we are ordered to a relationship with God, in whose image and likeness we were created. Horizontal, meaning in this world, our actions in relation to others and our interaction with the world itself are to be integrated into our relationship with the Lord. In the saints, horizontal and vertical meet. Most of all, the Church turns our attention to the saints because in their lives and in their deaths, they have achieved the victory for which we long. The saints witness to us that there is a fulfillment of our hope for everlasting life.
What follows All Saints Day is the feast of All Souls, in which we pray for our beloved deceased. By long tradition, the Church dedicates the month of November to praying for all our beloved dead, especially the holy souls in Purgatory. In this space for the next few weeks, we will examine the Church’s understanding of death, prayer for the dead, and the rites and liturgies celebrated to help us confront our grief and renew our hope.
All Saints Day, November 1, is a Holy Day of Obligation. We will have Masses for the holy day on Oct. 31 at 5:30 PM, and on November 1 at 8:30 AM and 5:30 PM. Please join us for the celebration of Mass and to call upon the intercession of the saints!
Peace,
Fr. Sam
