The Army of White Robed Martyrs Glorifies You

Homily for the Solemnity of All Saints

The solemnity that we celebrate today is known by many different names depending upon where you live in this world. While we Catholics refer to it as the Solemnity of All Saints, it is also known as the Feast of All Saints, the Feast of All Hallows, and Hallowmas. Today we celebrate all the saints of the Church whether they are known or unknown.

This feast day dates back to the fourth century when Constantine declared Christianity the religion of the Roman Empire. It was observed on a day between the Solemnity of the Resurrection and the Solemnity of Pentecost and celebrated the many martyrs that had given their lives during the persecutions in the first 400 years of the Church. In the Eastern rites, the feast is kept on the first Sunday after Pentecost while other Byzantine rites celebrate it on the first Friday after Easter Sunday. The Coptic Church celebrates it on September 11, which is also the beginning of their New Year. While Roman Catholics regarded as a Solemnity, the Lutheran Church has designated it as a Festival.

Because it began as a celebration of the martyrs, the first reading from the Book of Revelation is particularly fitting for this celebration. When John of Patmos was asked about the great multitude that stood before the throne of God and the Lamb, he turned the question back to the elder who had asked it in the first place. The elder identified the great multitude as “the ones who have survived the time of great distress” who “have washed their robes and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb." The great hymn known as the “Te Deum Laudamus,” which also dates back to the fourth century, places the martyrs alongside the prophets and the apostles who sing the hymn of praise before the throne of God. “The glorious choir of Apostles sings to you, the noble company of prophets praises you, the white-robed army of martyrs glorifies you, Holy Church throughout the earth proclaims you, Father of boundless majesty…”

The Christian celebration of All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day stems from a belief that there is a powerful spiritual bond between those in heaven (the "Church triumphant"), the living (the "Church militant"), and the "Church penitent,” which includes the faithful departed. In Catholic theology, the day commemorates all those who have attained the beatific vision in Heaven.

As we assemble today to honor those who have gone before us as the great cloud of witnesses that leads us to Christ, we are reminded by St. John that each of us has been called a child of God by virtue of our baptism. We look forward to the day when we shall be recognized as “saints among the saints in the halls of heaven.” The text from the Gospel of St. Matthew that we proclaim today identifies our path to holiness, the challenge that Jesus lays out before us requiring our commitment and intentionality. Sainthood does not happen accidentally. Sainthood is achieved by diligence in resisting the tug of the world to strive for the comforts and values of this life at the expense of seeking first the Kingdom of God. Encouraged by the witness and example of all the saints who have walked this path before us, when we come forward today to receive the Lord, let us do so with hearts that are open to and hungry for the help of the grace of God.