Yesterday was Halloween, otherwise known as “All Hallows Eve.” That means today, November 1st, is designated on the calendar as “All Saints Day.” If you’re not familiar with the history of these two names, well…

*deep breath*

It all began yesterday, Halloween, otherwise known as “Hallowed Evening” or “the night before the hallowed day.” So what is that? Basically, it’s a man-made holiday that encourages remembrance of saints who have died. In ye olden days, churchgoers would hold candlelit vigils on the night before (that would be the 31st of October), as well as offer prayers and sing hymns.

Now, how that ties in with pumpkins, trick or treating, ghosts, vampires, Michael Jackson songs, and the death of He Who Must Not Be Named is an entirely different matter. A lot has been added onto Halloween/All Hallow’s Eve over the years and, likewise, a lot of early Catholic traditions and holidays were little more than pagan festivals with a new coat of Jesus-Paint slapped on top.

It’s always complicated and fascinating to go back and study the history of these things, but that’s for another time. For now, regardless of its origins, today is regarded by many “All Saints Day,” and in that respect consider four thoughts from Scripture that describe the Saints of the Lord…

ALL SAINTS ARE IN HIS HAND

Yea, he loved the people; all his saints are in thy hand: and they sat down at thy feet; every one shall receive of thy words.

(Deuteronomy 33:3)

His people are His and He shelters us in His loving care. After all, the word “saint” means “set apart” and implies God has picked us up and moved us from one place to a far better place. He has placed us in the shelter of His hands.

LOVE THE LORD, ALL SAINTS

O love the LORD, all ye his saints: for the LORD preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

(Psalm 31:23)

Here is an imperative, ordered to us by the Psalmist. Loving God ought to be a natural response and an easy reaction considering all He has done for us. Either way, it is still a command to be upheld: Love Him. Why? Because we are His saints.

GOD BRINGS PEACE TO ALL SAINTS

For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

(1 Corinthians 14:33)

What the Lord desires among His people is harmony, fellowship, unity, and peace. Such things are found when His people unite behind His doctrine, submit to His will, and love by His example. When that happens, all the churches of His saints are at peace. That’s the goal.

JESUS WILL RETURN WITH ALL SAINTS

To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.

(1 Thessalonians 3:13)

This world is not our home. As said previously, we’ve been set apart from it, and yet that setting-apart is only a spiritual process. Physically, our bodies continue to live in this world. That means our bodies continue to age and die. Many saints have already passed from this life, and we mourn them when they go, but we also know they are not gone forever. Jesus will return one day, and when He does all the saints who have gone on already will return with Him, to bring the rest of us home forevermore.

~ Matthew