All through history, there are great men and women who having appreciated the call to holiness and grace, become worthy of emulation. Through their lives and works, they expressed a sincere and true devotion to the divine grace of God and utilized it properly. These holy people, Friends of God, ought to be celebrated, imitated and revered for their heroic and devout lives after their sojourn here on earth. Since the Church has as an obligation to exhort and urge her members to lead a virtuous life as these people had, she celebrates within her liturgy these great men and women from various walks of life, ages, places, all through history. Some of these persons are canonized or beatified, famous or obscure; whether found in the canons of the Saints or not, are all celebrated. Fittingly, the Church sets aside a particular day, November 1st of every year as the commemoration of these holy people, saints, who made Christ Jesus their fundamental option.

The choice of November 1st as the celebration of the Church triumphant has some historical development. In relating this development, two accounts abound. The first account records that this celebration by the Church has some pagan affinity. The pagans of Rome around the 2nd and 3rd centuries had a feast called the feast of Lamuras, in which they commemorated and placated the restless spirits of the dead on 13th of May. When Catholicism was made the religion of the Roman Empire, the Church chose this date, May 13thto celebrate great men and women of the faith, especially Martyrs. This was purposefully not without an intention, as the Church chose to put a stop to the pagan celebration of Lamuras.

The second account which assumes huge consideration and acceptability amongst Catholic historians is traceable to the dedication of the Patheon of Rome to our Blessed Mother and the Martyrs by Pope Boniface IV around the 7th Century (609AD or 610AD). The choice of this date for the dedication of the Patheon may have been prompted by the feast of Martyrs already celebrated by the Eastern Church on the 13th of May. This dedication was celebrated yearly. However, that this date was changed from May 13th to November 1st may be nailed to the Pontificate of Pope Gregory III. 

A probable account relates this feat thus; According to the Mausolfes, in the book, Saint Companions, the first evidence of 1st of November as the date of the celebration, however, was noted in England during the Papacy of Gregory III (731-741) who dedicated an oratory in St. Peter’s Rome, to all the Saints. The broadening of the feast to include all the saints and martyrs of the Universal Church and its observance on 1st of November as a holy day of obligation is variably ascribed to Pope Gregory IV (827-844) and Gregory VII (1020-1085). This date (November 1st) suppressed the celebration of May 13th which was particularly dedicated to honouring Mother Mary and the Martyrs of the Church.

The Saints were not supernatural beings while on earth. They were just like us. They were faced with life’s situations that threatened them, but they would not leave Jesus. Christ was at the centre of their lives. They stood for the Christian faith, represented the Christian faith. Most remarkably, they did ordinary things in extra-ordinary ways. You too can be celebrated a saint.  It is possible. We can attain sainthood by following Christ faithfully.

All Saints, Pray for us