By: Erinn Peterson
This time of year, the air gets a little crisper, the leaves start changing colors, and pumpkin spice lattes make their annual return to coffee shops. But for Catholics, this time of year is about more than autumn and Halloween. As October comes to an end, we also prepare to celebrate two important days in the Church: All Saints’ Day on November 1st and All Souls’ Day on November 2nd.
All Saints’ Day is a day to celebrate all the saints of the Church, meaning those who have reached the glory of heaven. But it’s also a reminder of something important: holiness is the vocation we all share. Whether God calls us to marriage, religious life, or life as a single layperson, our vocation is ultimately meant to bring us closer to Him and help us become the people He created us to be.
When we think about the saints, it can sometimes be easy to imagine people who seem almost impossible to relate to. But All Saints’ Day reminds us that holiness isn’t reserved for people who lived extraordinary lives. Ordinary people, living ordinary lives with extraordinary faith, can become powerful witnesses of trust, charity, and hope.
St. Carlo Acutis, our first millennial saint, is a wonderful example of this. He reminds us that you don’t have to be perfect or live an extraordinary life to become a saint. He was a teenager who enjoyed many of the same pastimes as any other person his age, including video games and the internet, and yet he had a deep love for God and the Eucharist.
St. Augustine gives us another important reminder: our past does not have to determine our future. His life encourages us to look honestly at the choices we make while remembering that no sin is too great for God’s mercy and forgiveness.
And then there is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who showed us that holiness can be found in the smallest things. Sometimes, holiness looks like simply loving the people around us, doing our everyday responsibilities with care, and offering even the smallest things to God.
Then, just one day later, we celebrate All Souls’ Day. This day gives us an opportunity to remember our loved ones who have died and to pray for their souls as they journey toward heaven. It also reminds us of the beautiful reality of the Communion of Saints and the connection between the Church on earth, the souls undergoing purification, and those who have already entered into eternal life.
All Souls’ Day can certainly feel more somber than All Saints’ Day. We may find ourselves thinking about people we have lost and remembering moments we shared with them. But even in that sadness, there is hope. Our faith reminds us that death does not have the final word. God’s love is stronger than death, and we can continue to love and pray for those who have gone before us.
Together, All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day remind us that we are never separated from God’s love. Even as the days grow colder and darker, and perhaps a little spookier, we are still surrounded by the love of Christ, a love that calls each of us toward holiness.
Blessed Mary of Jesus the Good Shepherd (Frances Siedliska), our Mother Foundress, embodies this spirit of both All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day. Her life gives us a beautiful example of what it means to strive for holiness in the ordinary moments of everyday life. Through her example, she showed how we can offer our lives to God and encourage others to follow Christ.
We don’t need to wait for some perfect moment to begin living a life of faith. Our everyday work, our relationships, our prayers, and even the little things we do can all become opportunities to grow closer to God and share His love with others.
“Remember to live for God,” Blessed Frances writes. “Time is short. Every moment not used for Him and for his holy will is a lost moment” (Love Conquers All). Her words remind us that every day is a gift from God and what we do with that gift matters. Through our prayers, our actions, and the way we love others, we can begin preparing ourselves for the day when we hope to join the Communion of Saints.
