All Saints Day - 2022

Why do we mark it?

Depends on who you ask and what tradition they are from.

My own history with it - none whatsoever!

Honoring those who met certain requirements and were given the title “saint”. Praying to them as if they had a special “in” with God. There got to be so many that the church made a day to honor all of them.

Some emphasize those who died for their faith. Martyrs, like in the Revelation reading.

Commonality is us celebrating our unity as the church on earth with those who are the church in Heaven. We remember and share their stories.

Not the living and the dead because the fact is that they are far more alive than we are!

In Luke 20 Jesus is talking about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and says that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. St. Abraham? St. Isaac, St. Jacob? Yup!

I think that one could argue that we see it backwards. We see those in Heaven as a part of us, when really I think we are a part of them, because they are farther ahead than we are.

What are we talking about when we talk about saints?

Something or someone that is holy, set apart.

An object that is set apart and used for special purpose, holy, we call sacred.

A person that is set apart, and sets themselves apart for special use, holy, we call a saint.