October 31, 2003
What is “All Saint’s Day” for?
Everyone understands that All Saint’s Day is November 1st. But how many Catholics really understand the point of All Saint’s Day? Do you know why it’s a holiday for us?
There are few main reasons for the celebration of All Saint’s Day:
- To give thanks to God.
- To consider the holy example of the Saints.
- To ask for intercession by the Saints.
- To make up for any remiss in honoring the Saints on their particular feast days.
Ultimately, All Saints Day is a celebration of the men and women of God who have preceded us and are now enjoying heaven. Make a special point tomorrow to recognize, honor, and meditate on the Saints and the examples they leave for us as a roadmap to heaven.
Click here to read an excellent article on All Saint’s Day at EWTN.com. In the U.S., this has become a largely ignored holiday, which is a shame. Personally, I’ll be taking time tomorrow reading about Saints that I don’t already know and teaching my children the value of imitating those who are already in heaven.
What is the one thing not many people are aware of about your patron saint? My patron saint is St. Thomas More who was martyred by King Henry. A couple of interesting things: (1) he wore an undershirt made of hair virtually all the time as penance (wow); (2) he was very interested in the priesthood, but ultimately did not become a priest, why? "The one thing that prevented him from giving himself to that kind of life was that he could not shake off the desire of the married state. He chose, therefore, to be a chaste husband rather than an impure priest." according to his close friend Eurasmus.
In the comments section below, let us know something interesting about your patron saint in honor of All Saint's Day. I know I'm always interested in learning more about those who are already in heaven!
God bless,
Jay
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Seven or more years ago i was doodling and realised i had drawn an angel, the name eurasmus popped into my head. a priest yesterday asked me who my guardian angel was so i told him. Imagine my surprise when he told me that a saint of that name had existed. otherwise know as St ELMO'S FIRE. Have any others had similiar experiences, I now realise why i have been protected at certain times. And led back to God, more like dragged by the Holy Spirit.
Posted by: LYNDA at June 13, 2006 02:36 AMAll Saint's Day, let us consider the unique gift of the uncanonized Saints. As wonderful as the canonized Saints are, there they can often be hard to relate to and emulate.
After all, few of us will be calling ecumenical councils like John XXIII. Few of us will be called to attempt, like Saint Francis of Assisi, to throw ourselves in a fireplace in order to convince Muslims that our God is the One True God. Few of us will need to respond to injustices by getting into fist-fights like Saint Damian who was priest in a leper colony. And I would guess that none of us should even try to desert a wife and ten little kids in order to become a hermit (can't remember which Saint did that).
While the Saints loved God passionately, many of the most excellent acts of devotion would not suit our station in life (Saint Francis de Sales explains this in his Introduction to the devout life) and so we read of them to seek inspiration rather to emulate exactly. And so, who do we emulate?
And here, the uncanonized Saint fills this legitimate niche. They have not a single miracle attributed to them. They prayed for good weather for their daughter's wedding and yet it rained cats and dogs. They tried to avoid sin, but they fell so many times that Doctor Dobson would have redefined sin for them. But instead of despairing or redefining sin, they followed the advice of Saint Don Bosco: to return again and again to the confessional in joyful anticipation of God's mercy.
Let us today thank God for the garden-variety saint.
Posted by: Burnt Marshwiggle at November 1, 2006 06:34 PM
