All Saints Day — of course, we think of all those who are in heaven with God; to use the language of the Book of Revelation, those who have washed their robes in the Blood of the Lamb [...] In other words, people who did their best, but who really relied on the help and mercy of God. And we think of some of the great saints, whose names are listed in the canon of the Church, but we also think about the saints who are lesser known. That's what's so great about this day; this is everybody's feast day. When you think of... how many people have made this trek of life, stayed faithful (or tried to stay faithful), experienced God's mercy and forgiveness, who are now in heaven with God. So we celebrate them.
But at the same time, on [All Souls Day] we remember all those who have died. And that's a little bit more of a somber gathering, right? So, what do we do on that day? Well, you know, we pray for those who have died who are in need of our prayers, who are making their way (you might say), crossing through the curtain between time and space into eternity. Those seeking God's mercy. And we remember, really, what is it about for all of us, you know, that you and I were made to live forever? That our ultimate destiny is to be with God? We have to, on the one hand, make choices in this life, to try to live a life, that leads us to God, leads us to heaven; but we also know that we're not perfect, and that we're in need of God's help and mercy, and we pray for that for ourselves and for one another.
