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The remembrance of All Saints’ is ecumenical
A woman lays a wreath of flowers on the grave of a family member on the occasion of the celebration of All Saints' Day in Adjame, a popular district in Abidjan, on November 1, 2022. PHOTO/AFP
What you need to know:
- FYI. Why do we celebrate All Saints Day? Msgr John Wynand Katende elaborates the origin of the day.
The commemoration of All Saints is a Christian ecumenical tradition. By the year 100 A.D, Christians were honouring other Christians who had died, and asking for their intercession. This practice came from a long-standing tradition in the Jewish faith of honouring prophets and holy people with shrines.
Christians also met on the day of their death to commemorate “their new birthday”, the day they entered into their new life, in Heaven.”
Roman Catholic Church as well as many Anglican, the Lutheran and and Methodist churches, observe All Saints’ Day, November 1. The Eastern Orthodox Churches celebrate it on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
The word saint means consecrated to God, holy, sacred (1 Peter 2:9). Since the Early Church Christians are called saints, and are called to be saints, because they were baptised in the name of the Holy Trinity (Acts 9:13).
The celebration
The celebration of All Saints and All Souls of the dead stems from a belief that there is a powerful spiritual bond between those in heaven (the “Church triumphant”), the living (the “Church militant”, and the “Church penitent” which includes the faithful departed.
Their words and example of a holy life help to point us towards heaven; hence, they deserve our gratitude and reverence.
Catholic and Orthodox Christians, commemorate All Saints as those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven, known and unknown.
They attach a great veneration to them, affirming Jesus’ teaching in Mark 12:27 that their God “is not God of the dead, but of the living”. The reverence given to the saints, is meant to express Christian love and gratitude to God, who has perfected them saints.
Intercession
Catholic and Orthodox Christians also ask for the intercession of canonised saints, because they know they are already in heaven, and can, in charity, intercede for their brothers and sisters, still on earth.
Just as people would ask a friend to pray for them, it makes sense that they could ask a saint to pray for them. It is believed that the saints are of our same nature; they were weak like us, and they know, through their own life experiences, our needs, sufferings, and limitations.
Catholics and Orthodox contend that God wants to make His saints honoured on earth, where they served Him and where they lived and died; so He responds to our prayers through their intercession.
Throughout the history of the Church, God continuously grants miracles and favours through the intercession of the saints; for they are still serving as instruments of God to confer graces on men/women.
In engaging the saints, Catholics and Orthodox do not, however, claim to be praying to the dead! Though their souls are separated from their bodies temporarily until the final Resurrection, their souls are still very much alive!
Idolatry?
Protestants neither venerate saints, nor pray for their intercession, claiming that their Bible does not tell us to do so. They consider the tradition to be idolatry, since an application of divine worship that should be given only to God Himself is being given to human beings.
They quote Jesus’ teaching in John 14:16: “If you shall ask anything in my name, I will do it.”
They also cite St Peter, in Acts 4:12, “Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”
Nevertheless, they are in favour of the intercession of the living for the living. In Romans 15:30, Paul asks Christians/saints for prayers.
Role models
Generally, Christians commemorate the saints in heaven as the perfect role models for them. They were ordinary people who became extraordinary.
They received God’s gift of faith with open hearts and surrendered to His loving will. They illustrate the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise of eternal life (John 5:24). No wonder, people are christened/baptised with saints’ names.
Did you know? ... Reason
Generally, Christians commemorate the saints in heaven as the perfect role models for them. They were ordinary people who became extraordinary.
They received God’s gift of faith with open hearts and surrendered to His loving will. They illustrate the fulfilment of Jesus’ promise of eternal life
