A Song of the Saints
All Saints’ Day is a feast of memory and hope. Each time we light candles for loved ones and sing the songs of the Saints of God, we celebrate that the Body of Christ is not simply those of us who gather in one time and place but rather a timeless communion of faith and love.
As we light those candles, we remember parents, siblings, friends and children who have died; those who we no longer see but have entrusted to God’s care. We make the audacious yet beautiful claim that they are raised with Christ and that, just as we pray for them, they intercede for us. Our loved ones are with us still, guiding us and cheering us on. I like to think of them as the great and growing choir, the “great cloud of witnesses” that teaches us love continues to change the world and is stronger than death.
We also remember that, sometimes, it takes profound vision and lively faith to teach and model what God truly imagines for this world. The saints are those who have done exactly that. Whether as martyrs, gifted leaders, or humble believers, they wholeheartedly embodied their faith and lifted our eyes to see what life in God could truly mean.
This Sunday, we sing a song of them all. Light a candle, sing a hymn, and remember that you too are a saint of God. Your example may yet inspire someone to open their heart more fully to God’s love.
The Very Rev. Bernard J. Owens