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“All Saints: Signed, Sealed, Delivered” (Revelation 7:2-17) “Behold a host, arrayed in white.” So we just sang. Our reading from Revelation tells us who they are: “Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?” “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.” But before they came out of the great tribulation, first they were in it. That’s where we are. In the midst of tribulation. Trial and tribulation. Struggle, sorrow, sadness. Grief and loss. This is our lot...

“The Now and Not Yet of All God’s Saints” (Matthew 5:1-12; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:9-17) Today, as we do every year on the first Sunday in November, we observe the historic Christian festival known as All Saints’ Day. On this day we thank God for making us all his saints, his holy ones, set apart by God’s grace to belong to God alone. We thank God for the saints of the past, those who have preceded us in the faith, who by the witness of their lives inspire us and encourage us to carry on. And we remember the...

“For All the Saints, With All the Saints” (Revelation 7:9-17) Yesterday, October 31, was Reformation Day, when we remember how Martin Luther had to break with the Roman Catholic Church. Luther made it clear that we are saved by grace through faith in Christ alone and not in the slightest measure by our works. This teaching of justification is the central teaching of the Christian faith. It is the article by which the church stands or falls. And the Lutheran Church is still waiting for the Catholic Church to correct her errors, but she has yet to do so. So...

“Thanking God for All the Saints” (Revelation 7:9-17) Last week we celebrated Reformation Day. We remembered how Martin Luther broke with the Roman Catholic Church by saying that we are saved by grace through faith, faith in Christ, and not in the slightest measure by our works. This is the eternal gospel that Luther proclaimed loud and clear. And this doctrine of justification is the central teaching of the Christian faith. It is the article on which the church stands or falls. Sad to say, Rome has never corrected her errors on this most important teaching. And so this is...

“A Caravan of Pilgrims--with Homeland Security!” (Sermon for All Saints' Day, on Hebrews 11:13-16) There’s been a lot of talk in the news lately about “the caravan.” I’m referring of course to the migrant caravan working its way up through Mexico, heading for the border with the U.S.A. These are not U.S. citizens. Now many of them may be seeking a better life here in America and have good intentions. But there could also be MS-13 gang members, criminals, drug dealers, terrorists, and others who do not want to enter legally, mixed in the crowd. Therefore, immigration officials and Homeland...

Join Freepers throughout the world to pray for PRESIDENT TRUMP and VICE-PRESIDENT PENCE and for AMERICA: All Levels of Government, Family, Military, Business, Education, Churches, Health Care Systems and the Media. This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. —1 John 5:14 Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind. Please join us in prayer of remembrance of the dead, and for the safety of our borders, our troops and our elections.

Beloved: See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are. It's easy to forget sometimes that being a child of God, having the privilege of calling God our Father is itself a gift -- that you and I have no personal claims, no right to be called a "child of God" apart from the grace that comes to us in our Lord Jesus Christ.  The fact that you and I have been made sons and daughters of our heavenly Father is pure gift.  As it says in...

“Who Are These, Clothed in White Robes?” (Revelation 7:9-17) Today, on this first Sunday in November, we observe All Saints’ Day. On All Saints’ Day, we rejoice that we are part of that great communion of saints that is the church of Christ, both the church on earth and the church in heaven. All the saints, all those made holy by the blood of Christ. Saints, holy ones, set apart to belong to God alone. All saints, all of us who have been baptized into Christ and clothed with his righteousness. On All Saints’ Day we commemorate the faithful departed,...

Praying for the Living and the Dead – A Spiritual Work of Mercy Msgr. Charles Pope • November 2, 2016 • What is the value of one prayer? I suspect it is far greater than any of us imagine. Prayer changes things, sometimes in obvious ways, more often in subtle and even paradoxical ways. But prayer is surely important, even when we don’t experience its immediate effects. Perhaps this is why Jesus taught us to pray always and never to lose heart (cf Luke 18:1). St. Paul echoed this with the simple exhortation, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17)....

"Church Militant, Church Triumphant: All Saints" (Revelation 7:2-17)Today, November 1, is All Saints' Day on the church-year calendar. This is a day for remembering our departed fellow Christians--those saints of old, as well as those from our own past--who have fallen asleep in Jesus and who now rest from their labors. Today we give thanks to God for keeping them in the faith; we are encouraged by the example of their perseverance amid affliction; and we rejoice and are filled with hope as we look forward to the glory that awaits us all. All Saints' Day serves all of these...

Halloween and All Saints Day Fr. William Saunders Q: What are the origins of All Saints Day and All Souls Day? Are these linked with paganism and Halloween?Both the feast of All Saints and the feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. Let us first address the feast of All Saints. The exact origins of this celebration are uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in A.D. 313, a common commemoration of the saints, especially the martyrs, appeared in various areas throughout the Church. For instance in the East, the city...

“Who We Are and What We Will Be” (1 John 3:1-3)Today as we observe All Saints’ Day, we look back and remember with thanksgiving the saints who have gone before us, who now rest from their labors and are with the Lord. We look around us, and even though we cannot see them, we know that we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses to the faith, all of us united in the one great communion of saints, the whole church on earth and in heaven. And we look ahead, we look forward with hopefulness to the day...

The Solemnity of All Saints Day What is the Catholic Christian Holiday All Saints Day? All Saints Day Definition and Meaning What is All Saints Day? It is when the Catholic Church and some Protestant churches commemorate every saint, known and unknown. The eve of All Saints is known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. It falls on November 1st. Prayers: All Saints Day Prayers Basic Facts/Meaning About All Saints Day Liturgical Color(s): White Type of Holiday:Solemnity, Holy Day of Obligation (West); Feast (East) Time of Year: November 1 (in Orthodox Churches, the Sunday after Pentecost) Duration: One Day...

All Hallows' EveIssue: Is the celebration of Halloween a pagan feast? May a Catholic celebrate Halloween in good conscience? What is the history of this popular American holiday?Response: We celebrate Halloween on the evening before All Saints Day. The word itself is a shortened form of "All Hallows’ Eve," which quite literally means "the eve of All Saints." From the earliest days of the Feast of All Saints (mid 700s A.D.), Catholics observed October 31 as the vigil of this November 1 celebration. This feast commemorates the lives of Christians who lived exemplary lives of faith. Pope Sixtus IV introduced...

...[T]oday's feast of All Saints is wholly different from tomorrow's feast: that of All Souls. Today, we celebrate the men and women who have entered heaven; tomorrow, we will remember the souls of our friends and family members who are being purified to do the same. Today, we pray to the saints in heaven with full confidence that they will intercede for us; tomorrow, we pray for the souls in purgatory with full hope that others will do the same for us after we are gone. There's a big difference between the emphases (and purpose) of the two days. Honestly,...

In case you didn’t realize it, today is Halloween. For those of you who have been taught to find nothing redeemable in this night of masks, merriment and candy-begging: calm down! Here in the Deep South, Evangelicalism has a strong sway. Because of this, there are mixed emotions about Halloween – even among some Catholics. Yes, it’s a night set apart for children to dress up in costumes and innocently go door-to-door asking for candy – no harm in that, right? But then there are the persistent (and often convincing) tales, often perpetuated by well-meaning Christians, which link any celebration...

“The Now and Not Yet of God’s Baptized Saints” (Matthew 5:1-12; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:9-17)On this day when we have a baptism in our midst and we commemorate the faithful departed from our midst, on this All Saints’ Day observed, I want to talk to you briefly about “The Now and Not Yet of God’s Baptized Saints.” We’ll be looking at aspects of this theme from all three of our lessons today. First, when I say, “God’s baptized saints,” I’m talking about us. You and I are God’s baptized saints, the people he has made his own in Holy...

Benedict XVI. at the Angelus for All Saints: The goal of the life of a Christian is to be formed by Christ. Rome [kath.net/as] Holiness means, to be formed by Christ. That is the goal in the life of a Christian. With these words, Pope Benedict XVI addressed today's Feast of All Saints to gathered pilgrims and visitors at St. Peter's Square during the Angelus Prayer. The Feast of All Souls all were invited to raise their eyes to heaven and consider the fullness of divine life, which men await. As children, Christians receive the even the Grace, to bear...

How Halloween Can Be Redeemed by Page McKean Zyromski Halloween has grown into a major secular holiday in American culture. But for those who don’t value devotion to the saints, the Eve has become "hollow" instead of "hallow." The purpose behind it has been lost—like celebrating New Year’s Eve without a New Year’s Day. Take away the saints and our beliefs about the dignity and destiny of human beings, and the only thing left is pre-Christian superstition regarding the dead. Among many Christians, there has been concern that things have gotten out of hand. After all, doesn’t Halloween glorify evil?...

All Hallows' Eve Issue: Is the celebration of Halloween a pagan feast? May a Catholic celebrate Halloween in good conscience? What is the history of this popular American holiday?Response: We celebrate Halloween on the evening before All Saints Day. The word itself is a shortened form of "All Hallows’ Eve," which quite literally means "the eve of All Saints." From the earliest days of the Feast of All Saints (mid 700s A.D.), Catholics observed October 31 as the vigil of this November 1 celebration. This feast commemorates the lives of Christians who lived exemplary lives of faith. Pope Sixtus IV...