An All Saints Experiment (All Saints homily)

 Let’s spell out a few key points about this feast.

First. There is a lot of nonsense spoken about Hallowe’en, 

which is part of this feast. Hallowe’en means the eve, 

or “e’en” of All Hallows, which is just another way of saying, All Saints. 

So maybe you saw someone claim that we Catholics 

dressed up a pagan holiday and turned it into this feast. 

Not true. 

People will say, Oh, but there was a pagan holiday…

Let me tell you: if you look it up,

You’ll find there are pagan holidays all year long.

You just about cannot pick a day without some pagan connection.

Which is why you hear the same thing about 

Easter, Christmas, The Presentation, Assumption, 

and lots of saints days as well.

Hallowe’en is fun, and there’s nothing wrong with that.

But it isn’t about demons or ghouls. It’s not about evil.

Hallowe’en is about the saints.

It’s about grace.

Grace is God’s own life and love, poured into our lives, 

to make us like God.

All Saints – including the eve, Hallowe’en – 

exists to celebrate God’s success stories.

So, it seems funny that some Christians 

don’t want to talk about saints; 

it’s as if we’re saying, 2,000 years later,

And Jesus hasn’t had many successes!

But of course he has!

That’s what the saints are, and what we celebrate today.

Now, this year we did a little experiment; let me explain.

When All Saints falls on a Saturday (or Monday), 

it isn’t an obligatory holy day.

And because we don’t have a Saturday morning Mass,

The only way we could commemorate All Saints – 

as opposed to skipping it, which parishes are allowed to do –  

was to do it at one of our Saturday evening Masses.

I thought it was a shame to skip it, so we’re doing it tonight.

Don’t worry, this Mass still “counts” for Sunday.

And if you want, you can be part of All Souls at Mass tomorrow.

Just a note here about All Souls, which comes on November 2.

That is the day for the “faithful departed,” meaning: 

for those who weren’t necessarily finished products, 

as it were, in this life, but who have certain hope – 

I repeat, certain hope – of victory.

If you didn’t know this before, hear me: 

everyone who enters Purgatory will be a saint. Without exception.

Purgatory is the saint-finishing school, and our prayers help.

Now, let me point out something extra special we did at this Mass.

At the beginning of Mass, 

we welcomed a group of our friends and neighbors, 

some of them are relatives, who want to become Catholic.

This prayer of welcome could have happened outside of Mass,

But this day seemed very fitting to do it with you;

Because you and me are the one welcoming them.

We represent, if you will, all the 2 billion Christians worldwide,

And the untold numbers of the faithful ahead of us,

Who welcome them into the destiny of being a saint!

So often people ask:

Why do we have baptism and confession and the sacraments?

Why do we pray and do penance?

Why do we go to Mass? Every week!

What is this all for?

It’s basically like the first of the 12 Steps:

“We admitted to ourselves that we are not heavenly.”

Only God’s grace can make us so.

The Catholic Faith, all of it, every bit, is about becoming a saint.