I once knew a man whom I considered to be a very sincere Christian. Among his many "fruits of the Spirit" was a tremendous willingness to help people, especially if they needed help in repairing things. He had the ability to turn the old back into new. I also especially appreciated his great love for animals, sometimes even risking the displeasure of neighbors by making sure feral cats did not go hungry. However, if you remarked that he was a saint, he was very quick to exclaim, "I'm no saint!" Unfortunately he probably had bought into the common definition of sainthood which claims a saint is someone who feels that in some way you should feel guilty if you are doing something that is fun. OK, I exaggerate a bit, but modern day concepts of sainthood often miss the mark.  Since the days of the early church all you had to do to become a saint was to become a Christian, a real Christian, not a church on Sunday, something else on Monday sort of Christian.

    It is not surprising that before long various churches began to remember and honor the saints, especially those who had died as martyrs for the faith. In fact in the earliest years of the church All Saints Day, as it will eventually become known, was probably celebrated more regularly than Christmas Day. The practice appears to have started in Ireland then spread to England, and finally reached the European mainland. In England November 1 eventually came to be observed as All Hallows Day, and the night before as All Hallows Eve. The word "hallows" is derived from a Medieval word and simply means holy. Our word, Halloween in turn owes its origins to All Hallows Eve.

    While every Christian is a saint, there are some saints who were more prominent than others. I wonder how many remember Leon Hart. In the 1950s he played end for the Detroit Lions, and during his college days he won the Heisman Trophy. Today if you are a lineman you can pretty much forget about winning the Heisman. You need the linemen, but the quarterbacks are most of the super stars. Well, we need "all the saints," but Apostles, martyrs, and folks like St. Francis of Assisi, or Mary Magdalene are the stars. They tend to get most of the attention on All Saints Day.

    By the tenth century there were those who felt we were in danger of losing something precious if we forgot the everyday Christian, who might never be famous, but did his or her best to follow in the footsteps of Jesus.

So, a new day was added to our church calendar. It is All Souls Days, observed on November 2. Many churches have a service on this day which includes reading the names of all the saints who have died in the past year, and perhaps including others that family and friends have asked to be remembered. Along with Good Friday, All Souls Day is one of two days during the Church Year when black is the usual liturgical color.

    In Mexico All Saints Day and All Souls Day, as well as a few days right before these two, have been blended together into an observance known as the Day of the Dead. The observance has spread into the American Southwest, and if you are ever in San Antonio around this time, try to take the Spanish Mission tour. You will find the altars of the churches are elaborately decorated, sometimes in a way which might strike some of us as rather grim, as skulls are commonly featured. To those who worship here they are simply reminders of our mortality and our love for the departed.

    If All Saints Day does not fall on Sunday, it is automatically transferred to the next Sunday. It is not considered an optional observance, but one we should celebrate every year. We also need to remember that in the Episcopal tradition we do not pray to saints or ask favors of them. We honor and commemorate them, and that is all. Should you have slipped up a few times and had a talk with Saint Jude or someone else, do not worry. God understands.

    There are some wonderful hymns that have been written to help us celebrate All Saints Day. So, sing with gusto, enjoy the day, and celebrate your sainthood.