All Saints Day

Allhallowtide: The triduum (3 day religious festival)

The Triduum (3 Day religious festival) of All Hallows’ Eve, All Saint’s Day, All Soul’s Day

It begins on October 31st with All Hallows’ Eve and Finishes November 2nd with All Soul’s Day.

All three days are not recognized by every church, but All Saint’s Day is a universal high holy day. As Lutheran’s we only celebrate All Saint’s Day. Its a celebration to remember those who have died.

All Hallows’ Eve

According to some scholars, the Christian Church absorbed some Celtic practices associated with Samhain and Christian-ised the celebration in order to ease the Celts' conversion. On All Hallows' Eve, some believed that the veil between the material world and the afterlife thinned. In order to prevent recognition by a soul people would don masks or costumes to disguise their identities, the root of the trick-or-treating practice. In medieval Poland, believers were taught to pray out loud as they walk through the forests in order that the souls of the dead might find comfort; in Spain, Christian priests tolled their church bells in order to allow their congregants to remember the dead on All Hallows' Eve.

You can see the relationship made in Mexico with the celebration of the Día de los Muertos: or Day of the Dead.

The Christian Church traditionally has held a vespers vigil for worshipers to prepare themselves for All Saints Day.

Day of the Dead

Prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century, the celebration took place at the beginning of summer. Gradually, it was associated with October 31, November 1, and November 2 to coincide with Allhallowtide. Scholars trace the origins of the modern Mexican holiday to indigenous observances dating back hundreds of years and to an Aztec festival dedicated to the goddess of the underworld/Lady of the Dead.

By the late 20th century in most regions of Mexico, practices had developed to honor dead children and infants on November 1, and to honor deceased adults on November 2. November 1 is generally referred to as Día de los Inocentes ("Day of the Innocents") but also as Día de los Angelitos ("Day of the Little Angels"); November 2 is referred to as Día de los Muertos or Día de los Difuntos ("Day of the Dead")

People go to cemeteries to be with the souls of the departed and build private altars in the home containing the favorite foods and beverages, as well as photos and memorabilia, of the departed. The intent is to encourage visits by the souls, so the souls will hear the prayers and the comments of the living directed to them.

Some families build altars or small shrines in their homes;[12] these sometimes feature a Christian cross, statues or pictures of the Blessed Virgin Mary, pictures of deceased relatives and other people, scores of candles, and an ofrenda. Traditionally, families spend some time around the altar, praying and telling anecdotes about the deceased. In some locations, celebrants wear shells on their clothing, so when they dance, the noise will wake up the dead; some will also dress up as the deceased.

All Soul’s Day

All Souls' Day focuses on honouring all faithful Christians "who are unknown in the wider fellowship of the church, especially family members and friends. In many Anglican / Episcopal, Evangelical Lutheran and Roman Catholic Christian services, an A.D. 7th-century prayer The Office of the Dead is read out in churches on All Souls' Day." It is the proper reading on All Souls' Day (normally November 2) for all souls in Purgatory, and can be a votive office on other days when said for a particular decedent.

In England, a popular tradition associated with All Souls' Day is souling, in which "bands of children, or of poor men, went round to the houses of the well-to-do on Souling Day, as they called it, begging money, apples, ale, or doles of cake. In some parts specially baked cakes were prepared in readiness to give away; they were called soul-cakes."

All Saint’s Day

All Saints' Day is a holy day to honour all the saints and martyrs, both known and unknown. The liturgical colour of All Saints' Day is white, which is "symbolic of victory and life. On All Saints' Day, many Christians visit graveyards and cemeteries in order to place flowers and candles on the graves of their loved ones.

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

We Celebrate today because Christ has won the victory. This is not a day of mourning, it is a day of Joy. A day of firm promise confirmed in the resurrection of Jesus the Christ the Son of the Living God. Those who have been baptized into a death like his will also live in a life like his.

Romans 6:5 ESV

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his.

This is the hope of the Resurrection....

Revelation 7:9–14 ESV

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” And all the angels were standing around the throne and around the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God forever and ever! Amen.” Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” I said to him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

And We live today in the sure hope of that great reunion at the wedding feast.

1 Corinthians 12:11–13 ESV

All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills. For just as the body is one and has many members, and all the members of the body, though many, are one body, so it is with Christ. For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

When you come to Communion it is not by yourself, it is here with your church family. We declare that we are of one doctrine, one belief, one body in Jesus Christ. As we celebrate the Lord’s supper together. Consider this special hope. When you take of the body and blood of Jesus this morning is it the same body and blood you partook of two weeks ago? last year? how about thirty years ago. Each time you kneel at this rail you are kneeling with the entire body of Christ. In a special miraculous way that transcends time and space. We are one in the body of Christ with all who share in it. One together.

You will see we have food up here now, I guess kind of similar to the shrines made for the Day of the Dead, but with a completely different purpose. This food is a offering to God, from the blessings He has given us to share with others in the Hope of that wedding feast. We have a list of items needed to share and if you would like you can share them in thanksgiving for the faithfulness God has shown your loved ones as they are with him in glory today. Each week you bring food you are welcome before service to bring it forward as we spend our entire month giving thanks to God until the end.