All Saints

 

Sunday of all Holy Ones – Κυριακή Τῶν Ἁγίων Πάντων

With the feast of Pentecost and the Monday of the Holy Spirit, the Penticostarion Period is officially over. The first Sunday after the Penticostarion period is always dedicated to all the Saints, from the time of Adam and Eve until our present day. The Church has billions of Saints, most of which are unknown. Why? Well, one thing is that we just don’t know their names. Even in the books of the Church that detail the Saints lives (called Συναξάρια), their names are not mentioned because we do not know them. Therefore, the Church picked this day that every single Saint—known and unknown, famous or
unknown—is celebrated. We should also remember that we are also called to be Saints! Whenever St. Paul used to write to Christians, he used to write to them as the “Saints of Ephesus” or the “Saints of Thessaloniki”. “Saints” are people that are walking step-by-step towards the Kingdom of Heaven. No Saint was ever perfect; however, they repented for their sins and are now with God in His Kingdom. We can do the same, by living a Christ-centered life and being with Him always. This feastday is also dedicated to people that have no specific name day celebration during the year. We wish them Χρόνια Πολλά! Happy Name Day!

Each one of us can become a saint

Today, we have before us the feast of All Saints. God not only saves, but He makes holy those souls who receive His word, His entire work. And we celebrate, today, this chorus, this chorus of All Saints. And all the saints have the same Holy Spirit. Therefore, in terms of quality, one does not differ from the other. They receive the same grace from God. Each one of us is able to become a saint, if he makes the brave decision to respond to the word of God and to put it into practice. Then, it is as if God says to him: “You will obey, will bow down, and will follow; my Spirit will take care of the rest”. We ought only to accept His grace, so that He can make us the way that He wants, i.e., to make us saints. And in the struggle to submit ourselves to the Lord, we have the saints to encourage us with their lives and their own struggling. When celebrating the memory of the saints, it is not enough to remember them, or to pray to them, but we must imitate their lives. Let us beg God to give us all the spirit of repentance, of humble-mindedness, and the strength to apply his word. And as imitators of the saints, let us too follow just as they did so that we too might become holy, as He is holy.

Saint Luke of Symferopol and Crimea

One of the last homilies of St. Luke of Crimea, at the Church of the Holy Trinity in Simferopol, Crimea: "Is it easy to be persecuted? Is it easy to pass through the narrow gate and through the road with thorns?" You will ask me with puzzlement. Doubt may nest in your heart if the cross of Christ is light. But I will tell you: "Yes, yes! It's light, super light." And why is it light? Why is it easy to follow him on this thorny road? Because you will not go it alone. Christ Himself will accompany you. For His infinite mercy will strengthen you when you bend under the weight of the cross. For He will sustain you, He will help you to take up your cross. I speak not only from knowledge, but also from personal experience. I must assure you that when I was walking on this difficult road, when I was taking up the heavy cross of Christ, I did not feel it heavy, and this road was the way of joy, because I felt it completely and I sensed that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself walks beside me and that He helps me to take up my cross. It was a heavy burden, but I remember it as if it were a glorious joy, as if it were a blessing from the Lord. For the Lord is merciful to all men who take up their cross. He will not abandon alone the one who took up His cross and followed Him, but He will walk beside Him, be a support on His way, and strengthen Him with His grace. Remember His holy words, for there is great truth in them: "Come unto me all who are toiling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me that I am meek and humble in heart, and find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and my burden is light." All of you, all who believed in the Lord, are called to follow Him, to bear His burden, His cross. So fear not. Move forward with courage. Do not be frightened by the attacks of the devil, who prevents you from advancing on this road. Spit on the devil, cast him out with the cross of the Lord, in His name." Let us have trust in God because He knows well from anyone what is best for our salvation. So let us surrender our lives to the Lord and surrender to His holy will. "The Lord's wills are unknown!" The world persecutes the Saints, does not see, does not perceive their greatness, their Holiness. Their Holiness is seen only by God. But if they are children of God, brothers and sisters of Christ, if their names are written in God's Book of Life, should we not take care to distinguish among the people around us those who are holy before God? Absolutely, certainly. Surely we must learn to distinguish the Saints and differentiate them from those who call themselves Saints, for there are many of them St. Luke of Crimea the Physician endured everything with much faith in God. In one of his letters he wrote to his son: "I loved martyrdom, which so strangely cleanses the soul." He fell asleep on All Saints Sunday of Russia, June 11, 1961, at quarter to seven in the morning.