Today, we celebrate the glorious feast of All Saints. The Church considers this such an important feast that she names it a Holy Day of Obligation (so be sure to get to Mass!).
The liturgical calendar is bursting with feast days of holy men and women who have done the will of God and now enjoy the eternal company of Him in heaven. This day is a celebration of their faithfulness, their response to God’s call, and the incredible ways that God’s grace and mercy worked in their lives.
But come to think of it: are we celebrating only canonized saints?
No, we aren’t!
While we can and do use the word “saint” to refer to canonized saints, the definition of a saint is actually anyone who is in heaven, both canonized and uncanonized.
Today is a celebration of all the denizens of heaven, including Our Lady, the angels, the canonized saints, and all those other holy men and women who have made it into their company, known and unknown. Many holy men and women have lived and died without anyone knowing they were saints, and others needed purification in purgatory before entering heaven. But all who become citizens of heaven are now sanctified—they are “saints.”
So today is a celebration of the entire Church Triumphant.
What do we mean by that?
The Church has three states, that is, three categories into which its members fall: The Church Militant, the Church Suffering, and the Church Triumphant.
The Church Militant is us—the members of the Church who are still running the race, fighting for our souls, and working out our salvation here on earth.
The Church Suffering refers to the souls in purgatory, who will indeed go to heaven but must undergo purification before they can enter into the beatific vision.
The Church Triumphant encompasses all the saints (canonized and uncanonized) and angels in heaven, united to God forever.
Together, all three groups constitute the Communion of Saints. Through this communion, we can exchange spiritual goods with those in other states: we can pray for each other and for the souls in purgatory. We can pray to the saints and the saints can pray for us.
Of course, we members of the Church Militant can’t rest on saintly laurels. We aren’t saints yet, and the devil will strive till the moment of our deaths—and especially at that critical moment—to turn us away from God and drag us down to hell.
But his machinations are no match for the powerful prayers of the saints. So be sure to befriend the saints and pray to them often, especially your baptismal and Confirmation saints and your special patrons. Place an image, statue, or prayer card on your work desk, bedside table, coffee table, or someplace you see it often, and use it as a reminder that the saints are watching over you!
All the holy saints and angels of God, pray for us!
This article was originally posted on our sister-blog, Get Fed. For your daily dose of cool Catholic history, culture, fun facts, and more, sign up for Get Fed emails here.
Do you have a saint who is special to you? Tell us in the comments below!
For ideas on how to bring reminders of the saints into your home, be sure to browse our extensive collection of saintly items at The Catholic Company!
