Memorial Day for the Church
My stepdad lost his parents and younger brother in a car crash when he was just thirty-one years old. His whole family—gone in an instant. Many years later, after he met and married my mother, he would take us along for his annual fall visits to his tiny hometown of Hessmer, Louisiana. We would have lunch with his Nanny, a few cousins, and perhaps another aunt and uncle would stop by. After a few hours of the adults talking while I tried to find something interesting to do, we’d head over to the cemetery.
There, he would pull out the broom and other tools we had packed and sweep leaves and debris off the family mausoleum, wash off stains if necessary, and generally tidy it all up. Sometimes he’d tell stories about his family. When we’d leave, that big concrete box and its three headstones were pristine. And while he could have made that trip at any time of year, I eventually learned that he timed his ritual to coincide with the weekend nearest to All Saints Day.
What Is All Saints Day?
On November 1, the Western Church celebrates the “communion of saints,” a day set aside to remember the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) who have gone before us. Contrary to many rumors, the day and its predecessor, Halloween, originated within the church—not as a pagan takeover. I love that our October 31 holiday got its name from the Scots accent, All Hallow’s Eve became “Hallow E’en” (they don’t bother with the v sound) and the words merged into our current Halloween.
Remembering the saints began in May 609, when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to Mary, the mother of Jesus. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III changed the date to November 1 when he dedicated a chapel at the Vatican in honor of all the saints. Pope Gregory IV later extended this celebration of all saints to the universal church.
Why Bother with All Saints Day?
In centuries past, a recognized big-S Saint would be remembered on his or her feast day, the anniversary of death, especially the martyrs (think Patrick or Valentine). Their deaths were considered the first day of their eternal life—a new birth day.
Celebrating dead heroes should sound familiar to most of us . . . Every fourth Monday of May Americans remember our military members who sacrificed their lives in service to our country. On November 11 we celebrate all military servicemembers. Whether it’s July 4, September 11, or the pomp surrounding the deaths of presidents, American culture celebrates her servants.
With 2,000 years of church history, it’s easy to forget or never learn about some of our heroes of the faith. Feast days help us remember the “big” names, but All Saint’s Day gives us an annual opportunity to honor saints who mean something to us personally. Like my stepdad did every year.
One day we will be those saints we hope our loved ones will remember. What do we do until then?
Remember and celebrate those who are gone. Take a few minutes to think of people who influenced you, especially in your faith journey. Thank God for sending them into the world, for the blessing they were in your life, for their encouragement to you as you continue on without them. Invest the emotional energy, even if it’s still so fresh it hurts, into honoring their significance in your life.
Rejoice in the promise of the gospel of Christ, that those who love him are secure in his presence. "We would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord" (2 Corinthians 5:8). Trust that they are truly in paradise if they are with the author of love itself.
Choose virtues to emulate and heroes to admire. The famous Saints and those saints you knew personally had character traits worth admiring and living out. What qualities did the church see in Augustine, Julian of Norwich, Catherine of Siena, and Anselm? How did your former teacher, neighbor, or loved ones teach you about Jesus through their words and actions? Which qualities can you work into your own daily life?
Love the saints who are still with you. The apostle Paul regularly addressed his letter to churches with "To the saints of ___" (see the opening lines of 1 Corinthians, Philippians, Colossians, etc.) We don't have to wait til they're gone to appreciate, serve, and love them.