The dust has settled and Halloween 2024 is in the books. Now we’ve arrived at the holiday that Halloween—All Hallows’ Eve—is actually about: All Saints’ Day.
Growing up Pentecostal, we did not really celebrate or observe these major feast days (frankly, I’m surprised we celebrated Halloween growing up, but I think that’s because of my Stephen King-loving mother). We missed out on a great deal of the beauty of the high church liturgical calendar as a result.
All Saints’ Day and its close companion, All Souls’ Day (observed on 2 November) are two beautiful solemnities worth observing for all Christians. While I believe that all saved Christians count among God’s “saints,” and I don’t think the Roman Catholic Church holds a monopoly on canonization (or that canonization is even a legitimate spiritual designation), I do appreciate the celebration of the lives of the saints. They were inspiring Christians, often because they were such fallen sinners themselves before receiving Christ’s Grace.
I do believe they performed miracles through the power of the Holy Spirit. I believe such miracles are still possible. Sure, there’s probably some literary license taken with some of the saints, but I can’t deny the possibility of miracles; Scripture is full of them!
As a doughy American Evangelical Protestant I realize I am out of my depth here among the Anglicans and Catholics that read this blog, but I hope it is clear that I appreciate the richness of your traditions. All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days are worthy of celebration; all Christians should honor these days with prayer and feasting.
Maybe it’s the feasting that I like. Let’s see how I do with the days that call for prayer and fasting. Gulp!
One final coda: my recent release, Spooky Season III, ends with a piece called “Eleventh Hour and All Saints’ Day“; it’s two pieces in one. The hymn-like chorale “All Saints’ Day” kicks in around 4:30:
I wanted to capture the transition from the quiet solitude of a post-trick-or-treating Halloween night into the glorious morning of All Saints’ Day. I hope this humble piece did the trick.
Happy All Saints’ Day!
—TPP