Today November 1

Today is the glorious feast of All Saints. This feast used to be kept, years and years ago, on May 13th. It was designed to supplant the anniversary of the dedication of the pagan Pantheon in Rome. But it was moved to this date and was known as the festivas omnium sanctorum as early as the close of the 8th century in the West and even earlier in the East. (I found an interesting division of omnium sanctorum into four natural categories [apostles, martyrs, confessors and virgins] that related them to the four cardinal points on the compass: the East for apostles, the South for martyrs, the North for confessors and the West for virgins. They didn't say why, but I think the reason for assigning them could be: the East for apostles because the East is where it all began -- the seat of primacy or at least of the illustrious seedbed of our Faith. The South for martyrs because the South is warm, even hot, like the passion and the blood which is the symbol of the brave martyrs, who gave the ultimate witness. The North for confessors [those who profess the faith and evangelize] because the cool, dispassionate North is the symbol of words and wisdom. [And besides, what ELSE is there to do all the long, dark winter but talk and write?] And finally the West for virgins, because as the last place to be explored and settled, it is to a great extent pristine, or virginal. Sounds as reasonable as any other explanation.)

This feast day was instituted to cover any omissions in the celebration of the saints. As we know, every day of the calendar has at least two saints, and most days many more. Many we know only by their name and time of death, and some not even by that. But by the shining witness of their lives, these friends of God deserve a feast. In some ways it is reminiscent of Memorial Day, in which we honor the memories of all the soldiers who have died in the course of duty, especially those who are -- and remain -- unknown.

But in other ways, this feast is much different. For the soldiers fight no longer, but the saints and martyrs assist us still, through their prayers and ministries in heaven. They are before the throne of God, and now loosed from the bonds of earth, even more powerful and effective than they were when they were members of the Church Militant.

Choose, if you will, your favorite saint -- be he your name saint or Confirmation saint, a patron of your situation, employment or country, be he ever so high or ever so humble -- and pray to him, rejoicing in the fact that he is now glorified and at rest. Imitate him as closely as possible, since, truly: "There is but one Gospel, one Sacrifice, one Redeemer, one Heaven and one way to Heaven. . . . It is an entirely false idea that Christians in the world are not bound to aim at perfection, or that they may be saved in a different path from that of the saints." - Butler's Livers. All the saints, pray for us.