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"The solemn feast of All Saints takes me back to September 2010 when the late Pope Benedict visited the UK. In one of the gatherings, he met with 4000 children and young people and was beamed live to all our Catholic Schools and Colleges. He said that he hoped that, among those listening to him, there were some of the saints of the 21st century. In fact, that is a calling for us all, springing from our baptism. Whatever else we are or do, we are invited to become saints and not be content with second best. We are called to live in love and friendship with God. As St. John writes in our second reading, 'Think of the love the Father has lavished on us by letting us be called God's children.'
This solemn feast also makes me look to the future, and our hope of being among the communion of saints in heaven, not just the famous saints, but parents, relatives and friends, and people and parishioners we have known.
And this solemn feast looks not just to the past and the future but, most importantly, to today, to this second. It is in this moment that we are called to be sisters and brothers of Jesus. How? By following Jesus' example, mirrored in today's Gospel. Surely, the Beatitudes sketch a pen portrait of Jesus himself - poor in spirit, gentle, thirsting for what is right, merciful, pure in heart, a peacemaker, and patient in suffering. They are a template for every saint."
All Saints Day
Catholicism of the Catholic Church References:
CCC 61, 946-962, 1090, 1137-1139, 1370: the Church, a communion of saints
CCC 956, 2683: the intercession of the saints
CCC 828, 867, 1173, 2030, 2683-2684: the saints, examples of holiness
The Solemnity of All Saints is a day of rejoicing for the whole Church for in the Saints in heaven we have the hope of glory.
The Preface of the Day provides the Church with a vision of our goal, a sense of direction and a promise of help, rare gifts in the confusion of the present time.
We are given a vision of our goal, the City of God, “the heavenly Jerusalem, our mother.” There, together with all the angels, “the great array of our brothers and sisters”, the saints in glory, already see God, and love and praise him eternally.
We are given also a sense of direction, fit for those who still struggle on earth, “as pilgrims advancing by faith.” We are aliens and exiles in a foreign land, but we know to where we are going, and we know the way. Through our Catholic faith we can make sense of a world we are just passing through.
And God gives us help through the saints, “both strength and good example”, so that, “in our frailty” we do not faint by the way. We can be filled with the hope of reaching our goal, which is not a terminus, but an end without an end, eternal life.
Notes
These hymns have been picked and chosen from different sources.
All ye who seek a comfort sure (CFE31, L212)
By all your saints still striving (L372)
For all the saints (CFE176, L371, LHON260, TCH166)
Holy God, we praise thy name (L708, nb v3, missing in other books)
Blessed are they (CHE83, L815)
Key
CFE - Celebration Hymnal for Everyone
L – Laudate
LHON – Liturgical Hymns Old and New (Mayhew, 1999)
TCH – The Catholic Hymnbook (Gracewing)
Do you have questions about the liturgy and how we are called to participate in it? Explore how the Church councils, saints, and popes have answered this key question and many more.
Every movement of the Mass is rich in meaning but we can become over-familiar with it. Rediscover the Mass and explore how it relates to the Exodus story, where many of its rituals come from, and how it makes Jesus present to us today.
