All Saints

Thursday, November 1, was All Saints’ Day and for purposes of the church calendar, we move it to this Sunday, November 4.  It used to be called “All Hallows’ Day,” leading to the now more widely ‘celebrated’ All Hallows’ Eve, or Halloween.  I’m not going to rant on the obsessions and excesses of Halloween, but I want to draw our focus to All Saints.

Typically, when we think of saints, we think of the great super heroes of the faith.  The ones with special days and celebrations, the ones with books and songs and paintings.  Yes, they are important and they provide wonderful examples to us.  Many aspects of their lives are worthy of remembrance and emulation (but not all!)

The purpose of All Saints’ is not just to remember the great super heroes of the faith, but to remember that all those who strive to follow Christ are saints, literally, “holy ones.”  To be holy, in the Biblical understanding, is to be set apart, consecrated for divine purpose.  It does not mean perfect.  It means set apart.  You are not perfect, but you are set apart!

Perhaps you are set apart for a simple, unnoticed task.  Mom, Dad, grandparent, teacher, doctor, engineer, janitor, all are precious in the sight of God when done as an offering!  Whatever yours may be, and it will change over your lifetime, you have a holy task, a holy calling.  And what matters is not that it is grand, or important to human eyes, but that “whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.”  (Colossians 3:17)

And that’s what makes you a Saint!

This column appeared in the November 4, 2018 issue of St. John’s eNews.  Click here for the complete issue.

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