St Francis of Assisi by Cimabue – Public domain
Saints are our companions on our journey towards Heaven.
Reflections on All Saints Day by Fr Peter Ekutt M. Afr.
Today, the universal Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints, and we can rightly ask ourselves, “Who are these saints?”
Saints are witnesses to the Gospel and companions on our journey towards heaven. In a simple way, I can say that the saints are our brothers and sisters in Christ who have completed the journey we are still making right now on earth.
Their lives encourage us, their example challenges us and their intercession reminds us that we are never alone in our journey of faith.
This feast reminds us of our faith identity. The saints remind us of who we are and what we are called to become. In the second reading, St John gives us a beautiful assurance, and I just love it! “We are God’s children now; what we shall be has not been revealed. We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 Jn 3:2).
This biblical passage lies at the heart of today’s celebration. We are God’s children; we belong to Him, yet we are still on a faith journey. What we shall become has not yet been fully revealed. God is still working in us, transforming us, healing us and helping us to grow into the people He has called us to be in view of our citizenship in heaven.
When I was growing up, I had the chance of listening to stories of saints that were called “Lives of Saints”. And, thinking of a saint as a child, I imagined people who were always perfect, who never made mistakes, who never struggled with the difficulties we face here on earth. As I grew up and began to internalise my faith journey, I discovered that the saints were human beings like us. They experienced weakness, disappointment, temptation and suffering. They had to learn to trust God to overcome their limitations and to grow in faith. Therefore, the saints in heaven have been faithful to Jesus despite all the difficulties of living the Christian life and being a follower of Jesus, and that is why they are now given white robes in this vision of John, showing that they have remained faithful to Jesus in all the trials that came upon them. Their lives remind us that holiness is not about never falling; it is about allowing God’s grace to lift us up again. It is not about having no weaknesses; it is about bringing our weaknesses before God and allowing Him to work in us. It is about the grace, and St Paul expresses this when he writes, “By the grace of God I am what I am” (1 Cor. 15:10). The saints, therefore, did not achieve holiness by their own strength alone; their faithfulness, perseverance and love were fruit of God’s grace and work in their lives.
So, I believe, the saints encourage us in our own struggles because, like us, they also endured struggle. They grew from strength to strength and they matured in the Lord as they grew in years. And sometimes people ask some questions: “Why do we Catholics pray to saints? Why not just pray directly to God?” Of course, we pray to the saints because they can help us in joining with Jesus; they can mediate. They are now gathered round the throne of God and they can intercede for us; that is why we call the saints and the response is “Pray for us” after “Intercede for us.” “Help us.”
Many people have received favours through praying to a particular saint or meditating on their spiritual writings. So, we have one goal in praying to the saints: that through their prayers we may join with them one day in heaven by sharing in God’s victory which they have!
So, today, particularly, is also special for us gathered in All Saints Catholic Church. We celebrate the feast of our own church, the patron saints of our church, as a reminder of who we are called to become. And I think this is an occasion for joy, gratitude and reflection. It is the moment to look at the saints who have gone before us, to give thanks to God for what He has accomplished in their lives and to ask ourselves what their witness means for us today in the Church. We are not called All Saints because all of us have already attained holiness. No. We are called All Saints because holiness is a path on which Christ invites us to walk together.
Fr Peter Ekutt celebrates Mass at All Saints
Therefore, I believe, our church should be a place where people encounter something of God’s love, mercy and welcome. People come here carrying different experiences. Some arrive with joy and gratitude; others come with grief and loneliness, anxiety and disappointment. Some feel strong in their faith and others are searching, questioning and struggling. Some may feel very much at home in the church; others may wonder whether there is still a place for them. Whatever is the case, people should be able to find a community that welcomes them, listens to them, prays with them and helps them discover the love of God. They should find people who do not pretend to be perfect but who are willing to grow, forgive and begin again. This would be a beautiful way of honouring the saints whose name we bear as a church community.
Again, through this feast, we are reminded that the Church is greater than the people we can see gathered in this building. We belong to a communion that extends across generations and reaches into eternity.
Our name is, therefore, both a gift for all of us and a responsibility. It reminds us that each time we gather for the Eucharist, we are nourished by Christ so that we can carry His love into our homes, our workplaces, our neighbourhoods and our encounters with others.
Therefore, as a church called All Saints, we have a special reason to deepen our relationship with this great communion of holy men and women today. And as we celebrate the patronal feast of our church, let us renew our commitment to becoming the community our name invites us to be.
May all the saints pray for us, strengthen us and guide us on our journey toward heaven. And I wish you all a happy feast day.
All Saints Complex at Hüttenweg, 46