Saints = Explanations of the Gospel

The kids and I went to Mass this evening (Stephen is working) as today is the feast day for All Saints. In the priest's homily he said something that makes perfect sense, "Saints are Explanations of the Gospel". Not only the inspiring words they may have said or written, but their exemplary model lives lived out for Christ: give love & charity to the poor, meek & humble, hunger & thirst after righteousness. If the Saints were asked: "Why are you in Heaven?" they would answer: "For having listened to the Holy Spirit." - St. John Vianney. 

Yesterday we had CCD class and I was throwing an All Hallows Eve party for my students and teaching them about the Communion of Saints. Hallow is the same word for "holy" that we find in the Lord's Prayer (Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be your name.), and e'en is a contraction of "evening." The word Halloween itself is a shortened form of "All Hallows Eve," the day before All Saints Day. I taught the students about our belief in the Communion of Saints. There are over 10,000 named Saints. The Catholic Church teaches that it does not, in fact, make or create anyone a saint. Rather, it recognizes a saint. Of course there are many unknown to us and the Church. "A saint is always someone through whom we catch a glimpse of what God is like -- and of what we are called to be. Only God 'makes' saints, of course. The Church merely identifies from time to time a few of these for emulation. The church then tells the story." 

click on photo to enlarge

So in class before we ate our party food the students made this Heavenly Family poster (I made the example above using 20 Saints from Happy Saints). I asked my students if any of them have ever been asked by their parents or someone close to them if they could pray for someone sick or hurt. They all rose their hands. :) I explained that is great, because we can all intercede for one another in prayer: For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst.” Matthew 18:20. Next I reminded them what they all learned several weeks ago about when we say the Hail Mary, what are we asking Mary to do for us? The students all answered, "pray for us sinners!" :) I have such great students! So I asked them, if these Saints that the Church has named are in Heaven like Mary and with God, do you think we could ask them to pray for us too? They all agreed, "yes, of course!". 

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. Hebrews 12:1. 

While they ate their party food, I read them stories about 4 different Saints. They were all "wowed" and inspired. I could see the wheels turning in their precious little heads, and several of them told me the lesson or encouragement learned about what these Saints went through and did. It was awesome.

All Saints, Wild Rumpus & Candy

Happy All Saints Day! Remembering all the Saints known and unknown today. Remembering our grandparents on this day too.

"Let us remember one another in concord and unanimity. Let us on both sides [of death] always pray for one another. Let us relieve burdens and afflictions by mutual love, that if one of us, by the swiftness of divine condescension, shall go hence first, our love may continue in the presence of the Lord, and our prayers for our brethren and sisters not cease in the presence of the Father’s mercy" (Letters 56[60]:5 [A.D. 253]). Cyprian of Carthage


On Friday night, Madeline's school hosted a Wild Rumpus Family Fun Night! They had all these fun stations set up throughout the school like Max's Edible Art & Wild Painting/Tattoo, In-Out-and-Over maze, Every King a Crown (Burger King donated hundred of crowns for the kids to decorate), Smile & Sail photo drop, Wild Sing in the Gym and Rumpus Rooms (jumpy houses).
Madeline and James had SO much fun!

Madeline & James sailing to the Wild with Max.

Monster "musical chairs".
Too bad Stephen missed out on the family fun night. :(

We took the kids trick or treating on All Hallows Eve (aka Halloween) last night. Some of the neighbors in our hood really go all of with the decorating, it was fun to see. One house even had a projector on the side of their garage wall showing the old movie "Casper".

We probably walked at least a mile in our neighborhood. Madeline was very pleased with the outcome. :)

James keeps dumping out his bucket to check out all his candy!

All Hallows Eve

Stephen set our DVR to record several Scooby Doo shows, a few of them are the Halloween specials. Madeline and James love Scooby Doo! Who would have thought one of these shows would have sparked deep contemplation by my almost 6 year old. Madeline asks, "Mommy our bones don't talk after we die do they?". This sparked a 45 minute conversation of what happens to our bones (and bodies) when we die and if they don't go up to heaven what does. So I proceed to tell her our soul goes to Heaven. "Mommy what's our soul?". That was a bit difficult trying to explain the spiritual distinct part of us...the conversation moved on to marriage and babies. Yes Madeline already thinks of all these complex parts of life! Who would've thought Scooby Doo would spark these thoughts. :)


This weekend we celebrate the eve of All Saints known as All Hallows Eve, or Halloween. All Saints Day is November 1. I thought I'd use this blog post to explain the Catholic view of these days. In North America, Christian attitudes towards Halloween are quite diverse. Many churches such as the Catholic and Anglican have chosen to emphasize the Christian traditions of All Saints’ Day, while some other Protestants celebrate the holiday as Reformation Day, a day to remember the Protestant Reformation. (BTW click here to read an interesting article on "A Protestant Minister's Unusual Sermon on Reformation Sunday"). As Christians, Stephen and I ascribe no negative significance to Halloween, treating it as a purely secular holiday devoted to celebrating "imaginary spooks" and handing out candy - and we respect the differing views of any of our Christian family and friends. We just hold the view that the tradition is far from being "satanic" in origin or practice and that it holds no threat to the spiritual lives of our children. Actually from the Scooby Doo story I shared above sometimes this secular holiday can spark an opening to talk to our children about being taught about death and mortality. :)

The Feast of All Saints is a holy day of the Church honoring all saints, known and unknown. This is much like the American holidays Veterans Day and Presidents Day, where many people are honored on one day. The whole concept of All Saints Day is tied in with the concept of the Communion of Saints. This is the belief that all of God's people, on heaven, earth, and in the state of purification, are connected in a communion.

Many non-Catholics, especially those from more fundamentalist backgrounds, assume that celebrating the saints means somehow worshiping them. This leads some Christians to claim that All Saints Day is an idolatrous holiday. The Church, East and West, has always distinguished between worship (latria), given to God alone, and veneration (dulia), which may be given to the saints. If someone is treating a saint as one should treat God, then yes, that is idolatry. That being said, Catholics believe that the saints have a role in our lives, as intercessors on our behalf, because we are all united by our communion in Christ. The saints are continually praying for us and interceding on our behalf, on account of their closeness to Christ. This is because God is the God of the living, not of the dead. As such, asking a saint for intercession is no more idolatrous than asking a holy friend or pastor to pray for you.

Remembering and honoring the saints are beneficial practices, because to remember the heroes of the faith and follow their examples are good things. Many Christians seem to strongly oppose remembering and celebrating the lives of great Christian men and women, yet have no problem celebrating the lives of secular heroes like George Washington. All Saints Day is kind of like a Christian Memorial Day or Presidents Day, a day to celebrate the lives of all the great heroes of the Christian faith, and to celebrate the deep communion we have with them. While celebrating secular heroes is admirable, how much more admirable is celebrating those who fully dedicated their lives to Christ!

O God, the King of saints, we praise and glorify your holy Name for all your servants who have finished their course in your faith and fear: for the blessed Virgin Mary; for the holy patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and martyrs; and for all your other righteous servants, known to us and unknown; and we pray that, encouraged by their examples, aided by their prayers, and strengthened by their fellowship, we also may be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; through the merits of your Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.