The feast of All Saints comes, (in our part of the world), at a time when the days are getting shorter and often a grey, rainy climate is the order of the day. This is a time when perhaps we value a lift from the dying of the year. So, to remember the saints of the church, as well as our loved ones who have gone before us, can provide that jolt as we await the season of Advent and the promise of the coming of the Christ-child.
When we look back, we may well be conscious of the many followers of Christ who have gone to the life hereafter, those who have inspired us with their faith and courage in the way they have followed Christ. At this season we remember the saints of the church, the well-known names but also the ordinary people whose lives have touched us on our journey.
For this reason, on the very day after All Saints, we commemorate All Souls, as we specifically remember our loved ones and friends who have died and whose memory and example we cherish. At the Eucharist on this day the names of these departed loved ones are read aloud. In a world when we are often expected to recover and move on after people die, we can on a yearly basis offer our prayers for their example and love.
This season is a time to remember, recall and celebrate the lives of so many witnesses to Christ who in small, and not so small ways, followed a call to faith, to dedication and obedience.
Following Christ isn’t always easy. There are setbacks and times when we find it hard to follow. At such times it is good to recall once more all those who have offered their lives to follow Christ and who themselves provide us with the encouragement to never give in and to continue to follow in faith, hope and love.
Fr Stephen Rowe