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A brief history and explanation of All Saints Day
Photo by Viktor Talashuk on Unsplash
Where did it come from and why do we recognize it? For many, there is a confusion between All Saints and All Souls Day. There are some Catholics going through the motions of attending Mass simply because it is a holy day of obligation and for no other purpose. Each tradition the Church honors has an origin just as each tradition your family holds dear has an origin. It also has a purpose.
The recognition of Christian martyrs dates back to the 4th century when there were specific places and times when a feast was held to commemorate all those who gave their life for the sake of Christ. It was a time to honor and recognize those who served Jesus and paid with their life. It was a time to be strengthened and renewed with the hope and joy of eternal life given by the Lord. However, it started appearing on the official Church liturgical calendar during when Pope Boniface IV dedicated the Pantheon in Rome to the Blessed Virgin Mary in May 609. It is because of this dedication that the feast day started out being observed in the month of May. It was later moved to November during Pope Gregory III’s pontificate. (731-741 A.D.). The celebration was further recognized when Pope Gregory IV ordered it as a general observance in 837 A.D. It was extended to those beyond martyrdom and recognized all those who lived a life honoring and serving Christ.
The feast day has many different names: All Saints Day, All Hallows’ Day, Feast of All Saints, Feast of All Hallows, Solemnity of All Saints, and Hallowmas. It is because of the celebration of this feast day (All Hallows) on November 1 that we have Halloween (All Hallows Eve). The difference between All Saints Day and All Souls’ Day is that on November 1, Christians celebrate our brothers and sisters in Christ who have achieved spiritual maturity and, thus, are in heaven with Christ. It’s a day to venerate all the holy men and women canonized by the Church. It is, however, not exclusive to just canonized saints. The communion of saints (which we profess in the Apostles’ Creed each Mass), consists of every man and woman that has placed hope in Jesus Christ, been baptized, and have been adopted by Jesus into God’s family. One does not have to be officially canonized by the Church to be a saint. All Saints Day allows us to not only seek the intercession of our favorite saints, but to seek the intercession of our departed brothers and sisters we believe are already with God.
All Saints Day is typically commemorated by attending Mass (since it is a holy day of obligation), praying to our favorite saints, praying the rosary, or perhaps doing some spiritual reading or meditation on the saints. It is not a day to gloss over as another “rule” of the Catholic Church that “I have to go to Mass.” It is an opportunity to spend time with the saints. It’s an opportunity to remind us to set aside some time to focus on Christ through the lives of the saints. It's a chance for us to pause and ask ourselves “Am I living like a saint?” We are all called to be saints.
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About the Author
Amelia Monroe Carlson graduated from the University of North Alabama with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. Being raised as a Methodist during her early years, it was not until she entered college where she began to take her faith seriously. She was baptized as a Southern Baptist in Muscle Shoals, AL and began immediately serving in international missions and in the church.
During college, she became the Co-founder of an International Ministry, where she spent time traveling and speaking to church groups and in large conferences. She authored a Bible study and traveled abroad on mission work. She sat on the Mid-South Interfaith Conferences in Mississippi, where she defended the faith and discussed beliefs with leaders of various religions.
After a business trip to Washington D.C., where she was introduced to a former Baptist who converted to the Catholic Church, she was placed on a journey to enter into the Catholic Church.
Amelia is a military wife and currently residents with her husband and daughter in Tennessee. She is a nine time award winning journalist, receiving press awards for various categories including investigative journalism, best news coverage, and best single feature. It is her desire to help Catholics, particularly Cradle Catholics, see the beauty in their faith which converts see and appreciate the fullness of truth which the Church has held and guarded throughout history. It is her desire all Catholics fall as much in love with Jesus as she is, and love the Church to a greater capacity than they could imagine.
Amelia taught PRE for 4-6 grade at St. Mary Catholic Church in Bolivar, Tennessee from 2014-2016. She served as Youth Director at St. Philip the Apostle Catholic Church in Somerville, Tennessee in 2017-2018. She now teaches 7th grade (1st year Confirmation) PRE class at St. Philip. She's also a writer and frequent podcast guest on Our Warpath.
She has a strong devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, St. Francis de Sales, St. Padre Pio and St. Maximilian Kolbe.
To contact Amelia for speaking inquiries at conferences, retreats, or parishes contact her via social media on Facebook (Amelia Monroe Carlson), Twitter (@2_catholic ) or send a text to: (731)518-6923.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ameliamcarlson
Twitter: @2_catholic (Catholic ministry account)
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