Christian Year

ALL SAINTS’ DAY

Today most people think of a “saint” as being an extraordinary person who has lived a good life and has been recognised as such by the Roman Catholic Church (through canonization).

However a saint also be simply a person called out to be a follower of Jesus. In some translations of the Bible (e.g. the Authorized Version and the New Revised Standard Version), several of Paul’s letters are addressed to the saints at a particular place [Ephesians 1:1; Philippians 1:1].

All Saints’s Day is the 1 November. It is an opportunity to remember and give thanks for men and women who have gone before us in faith and given us an example to follow. They may be people who are well-known to the world. They may be people known personally to us who have helped shape our lives and our faith.

The word “saint” is derived form the Latin word “sanctus” which means “holy”.

All Saints’ Day is also known as “All Hallows”: here “hallow” is an old word for “saint”. The day before is “all hallows eve” or “halloween”. This is an over-commericalized and over-Americanized version of an event in the ancient Celtic calendar, and is certainly not a Christian festival.