Happy All Saints Day!

"...on whose constant intercession we rely for help."



   Today we honor all of the known and unknown saints of the Church. Think about the many Crusaders who died defending Christianity, or the nameless martyrs from the early days of the Church. Ask the intercession of the unidentified nuns and monks who lived holy lives of prayer and mortification while on earth. And don't forget the old women who would clean churches and scold priests.

They all belong to the Church Triumphant. They made it through the trials of earth (and maybe had to suffer a bit more in puratory); now they behold the face of God. They are our great cloud of witnesses, erupting with joy when just one sinner repents. Let's put on a good show for them and give thanks for all their help.

"Trick or Treat!"---Sixtus IV

Mankind has always had a habit of remembering the dead. Catholics used to honor those who were martyred for the true faith on May 13. When the year 615 rolled around, Pope Boniface IV named that day 'The Feast of All Martyrs'... Boniface was obviously not known for his originality.  In 741 AD, the feast was now celebrating all saints in heaven. In another great example of thinking outside the box, Gregory IV changed the name to 'The Feast of All Saints' in the year 840. Four years later, he changed the date to November 1 to baptize the pagan remembrance for the dead. Finally in 1484. Pope Sixtus IV made November 1 a Holy Day of Obligation and gave it a vigil which we know and love as Halloween.

So we know that the first of November is the big day we should be concerned with. It is as they say: you can't have New Year's Eve without New Years Day, or Christmas Eve without Christmas, but dressing up in costumes and recieving free candy always seems to overshadow any celebration you would have the next day.

*Fun fact* All of the above mentioned popes are the fourth with that name.