Today is All Saints’ Day, the second day of All Saints Triduum. In the United States, this solemnity is a holy day of obligation and we are obliged to attend Holy Mass. We also must abstain from works and affairs that hinder our worship of God.

What is the history of this feast?

By the late fourth century, this common feast was celebrated in Antioch as evidenced by Saint Ephrem the Syrian mentioning it in a sermon in 373.

Pope Gregory III (731-741) established the current feast date when he consecrated a chapel to all the martyrs in St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome. At that time, he ordered an annual celebration in the diocese of Rome on November 1. Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the feast to the entire Church. In the Eastern Churches, the feast is still celebrate during the Easter Season.

Who are we celebrating?

All Saints’ Day honors all the saints, not just canonized saints, but all holy men and women who have attained the reward of Heaven. We celebrate all those who have lived and died in Christ through the centuries and who are close to God now. We hope that our relatives and friends are among the saints who enjoy the happiness of Heaven.

Keep in mind that we do not worship these people—they are just people, like you and me, not gods. But, they have fought the good fight as St. Paul wrote. They are close to God, so we pray for them to intercede for us and we strive to become like them.

How can we become saints?

In a homily in 2009 Pope Benedict XVI gave us a simple recipe to reach sainthood. The road map is uncomplicated, but it is arduous and filled with challenges. His Holiness said:

But how can we become saints, friends of God? An initial response to this question is this: To be saints it is not necessary to perform extraordinary deeds and works, nor is it necessary to possess exceptional charisms. But this only tells us what sainthood is not. The positive answer is that to become a saint it is above all necessary to listen to Jesus and then to follow him and not lose heart in the face of difficulties.

As All Saints’ Day progresses, let us turn to the saints, God’s friends, and ask them to pray for us, walk with us as we cross the rivers of our lives, and help us keep heart in the face of difficulties.

Artwork: Fr. Angelico. The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs. 1423-24. Tempera on wood. National Gallery, London.