Solemnity of All Saints

Every November 1, the Catholic Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, of all without exception: both those officially recognized and those anonymous. This is the great celebration of those who share the triumph and glory of Christ for all eternity, by virtue of having cooperated with the Grace of the “Holy Spirit who dwells in us” (2 Tim 1, 14), putting all effort into follow the Master closely.

For this reason, the Church dresses in white on this day, because it is confirmed as a mother who summons her children to salvation; while these are strengthened by the example and intercession of those who took the lead in the path of faith, hope and charity.

We are all called to holiness

Saint John Paul II, in the homily of the mass dedicated to the Solemnity of All Saints, in November of a now distant 1980, said: “Today we are immersed with the spirit among this innumerable multitude of saints, of saved ones, who , from the righteous Abel, to the one who perhaps is dying at this moment in some part of the world, surround us, encourage us and sing together a powerful hymn of glory.

And this Solemnity is a favorable day to share the joy of God’s saving work throughout the centuries. A work that never stops and is renewed, every moment, in every human being who responds lovingly to the grace of God, to his mercy. To be holy is to live the call to human plenitude in love.

“There are too many”: origins of the celebration

The Solemnity of All Saints has its origins in the 4th century, when the number of martyrs of the Church became such that it was impossible to allocate each day of the year to remember each one independently. So, the Church chose to hold a joint celebration to honor all those who had reached heaven, on a single day, once a year.

When on May 13, 610, Pope Boniface IV (p. 608-615) dedicated the Roman Pantheon (where the gods were once worshiped) to Christian worship, he consecrated the “new” temple to the Blessed Mother of God ( Santa María la Rotunda) and all the martyrs. From then on, the celebration of All Saints was fixed on that date and would remain that way for many years, until Pope Gregory IV (p. 827-844), in the 9th century, moved the celebration to the first day of the month. November. It is very likely that Pope Gregory’s decision responded to the desire to counteract the pagan festival of “Samhain” or Celtic New Year, which was celebrated on the night of October 31.

Countering the commercial and pagan spirit

Today, the Solemnity of All Saints competes, in different areas of culture, against “Halloween” and its commercial and profane spirit. Therefore, it is necessary that we not lose sight of what we are called to as Christians: to live holiness and do all the good that comes from God.

In 2013, Pope Francis made a beautiful exhortation to the crowd that accompanied him in the celebration of this Solemnity: “God tells you: do not be afraid of holiness, do not be afraid to aim high, to let yourself be loved and purified by God, do not be afraid to let yourself be guided by the Holy Spirit. Let us allow ourselves to be infected by the holiness of God.”

Let us never forget that we are called to be saints! And that we must remember and be grateful for the lives of so many men and women who gave everything for the love of Jesus. Their lives were not free of difficulties, but having honestly loved Christ earned them peace in the midst of difficulty or pain and joy in the midst of the community of brothers that is the Church.

“All the faithful, Christians, of any condition and state, strengthened with so many and such powerful means of salvation, are called by the Lord, each one in his own way, to the perfection of that holiness with which the Father himself is perfect.” (Vatican Council II, Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, Light of the Gentiles).

Happy Solemnity of All Saints!

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If you want to know more about this celebration, we recommend this article from the Catholic Encyclopedia: https://ec.aciprensa.com/wiki/D%C3%ADa_de_Todos_los_Santos.