All Saints Day

After Halloween yesterday, today is All Saints Day.  Tomorrow is All Souls Day.  All three of these holidays had significant meaning and ritual in the early Christian church as well as other religions.  Since all three of these events are so closely intertwined, it made sense to lightly touch on all of them at once.  All Saints Day is designed to commemorate the saints of the church, whether canonized by the church or held in high esteem by the faithful following.  Many of the saints are obvious: St. Paul, St. John, St. Augustine, Mother Theresa, and the list could go on.  (Recently the Pope canonized Junipero Serra as a saint.)  Other saints are lesser known, possibly people who have greatly touched our own personal lives never to be seen again.  According to scripture, any one who believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior is a saint.  The question is, do we live as such?  The internal change wrought from a relationship with Christ will cleanse and change our outward behavior.  All in all, today, and hopefully every day, is dedicated to remembering the saints of the church.  All Souls Day is to commemorate the faithful departed, people who are followers of Jesus who have passed from this realm to the next.  I could list many people who have impacted my life who are no longer in this earthly realm but have passed on in to eternity with God.  Personally I strive to make an impact or difference in the lives of those around me by telling the Truth and by becoming a vanguard against the ever-changing winds of relativism and situational ethics.  In doing so, I remain faithful to the calling of the Lord Jesus.  Happy All Saints and Souls Day!

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