Each year, as the seasons turn and October gives way to November, we come upon a day in the Christian calendar that holds a special tenderness for me — All Saints Day. It’s a day of remembrance and gratitude, when we honor those who have come before us: the ones whose lives shaped our faith, our families, our ways of seeing the world.
I often think of All Saints Day as the heartbeat of the Church, a rhythm that reminds us that we are part of something much larger — a living, breathing communion of those who have loved, struggled, and believed before us. It began as a day to remember the martyrs, those whose faith cost them everything, who gave their lives for the truth they carried. But over time, it has come to include all the faithful — those whose witness may never be recorded in a book or carved in stone, but whose quiet lives of love continue to ripple through ours.
This year, that remembrance feels especially poignant. One of the great saints of my own life — my father — passed from this world not long ago. Yet he is still so present in me that I can almost hear his voice. His lessons didn’t come only through words, but through how he lived — through the way he loved me, and the way he loved others. In that, he showed me something of the Divine.
All Saints Day may have its roots in Christianity, the faith that mothered me, but the longing to remember those who have gone before us is deeply human — found in nearly every tradition and culture around the world.
- In Judaism, a candle is lit each year on the Yahrzeit, the anniversary of a loved one’s passing — a flame that says, “You are not forgotten.”
- In Islam, prayers (duʿā) are offered for the departed, affirming that mercy continues to flow between the living and the dead.
- In Hinduism, Pitru Paksha honors ancestors through offerings of food, expressing gratitude for the bond that continues.
- In Buddhism, Obon is celebrated with lanterns to guide ancestral spirits home — a dance between joy and remembrance.
- In Mexico, Día de los Muertos bursts with color, song, and feast — a festival of love that insists death is no boundary to relationship.
Each of these practices proclaims the same truth: the bond of love does not end. The story of those we love continues in us.
So I find myself asking: who are the saints in your life?
Whose names rise in your heart when you hear the word saint?
Whose kindness still steadies you? Whose courage still calls you to hope?
They may not be enshrined in stained glass or statues. More likely, they are the people who have crossed your path and left fingerprints of grace on your soul — the teacher who believed in you, the friend who stood by you in the hardest moment, the parent or grandparent who quietly modeled what love looks like.
Remembrance isn’t about the past — it’s about belonging.
It’s about knowing that the web of love that has carried us this far continues to carry us still. It’s about realizing that we are now part of that same living chain — that our own lives can become an example of hope, courage, and compassion for those who will come after us.
So as you move through this season of remembrance, I invite you to take a moment — light a candle, whisper a name, or simply say “thank you.” Let the memories, even if they bring tears or catch in your throat, become reminders that love still surrounds you.
May the memory of those who have gone before you steady you.
May their courage inspire you.
May their love call forth your own sacred strength.
And may you remember, always, that you too are part of this unfolding sacred story — a saint in the making, living your faith, hope, and love into the world.
Because, beloved, you are infinitely precious and unconditionally loved for the gift you already are.
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Infinitely Precious 