I didn’t think I would say much about The Feast of All Saints this year, but
someone asked me a question about it and two coffee cups later the keys were
clicking.Within the feast, Friday, Nov. 1 is All Saints Day and Saturday, November 2 is the Commemoration of All Souls. Several historic communions are observing the feast this Sunday in their churches, which means I’m officially on schedule until midnight central—about the time my procrastination disorder will kick back in.
Here’s a loose definition of the Feast: November 1 honors those deemed saints by the Church—Christians who were so sanctified in life that they passed purgatory altogether and went on the express cloud to Heaven. Usually miracles are associated with them after their passing. Martyrs are automatically added to this category. November 2, All Souls Day, honors everyone else that eventually made it.
Historic Protestant churches usually combine these days into one because in the Pauline Epistles, all believers are called saints: (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2; 2 Corinthians 1:1; Ephesians 1:1 and 15; Philippians 1:1; Colossians 1:2,4 and 14.) The word “saint” simply means someone who has been set apart, consecrated, and is holy.
I wrote a companion article expounding more on the sainthood of the believers, sanctification, and the judgment seat of Christ. I also give my perspective on purgatory. Link here to “Saints, Sanctification, and the Judgment Seat”.
Early Christians always honored their departed loved ones on the anniversaries of their deaths, particularly if they were martyrs. Unlike today, believers were not fettered by the morbidity of death or accompanying superstitions. It was a positive time of celebration and feasting.
The tradition was so common that the early church fathers decided to set aside dates on the calendar during the Easter season for remembering those who were resting in the Church Triumphant, as it was called. Those on earth were (and still are) in the Militant Church, signifying our command to fight the good fight in a fallen world.
“Fight the good fight for the true faith. Hold tightly to the eternal life to which God has called you, which you have confessed so well before many witnesses.” (I Timothy 6:12)
Pope Gregory III officially moved the feast to November after consecrating a chapel to all martyrs, then ordering an annual celebration to be observed church-wide.
We need not read anything sinister into this change, although it does coincide with the pagan holiday known as Samhain, which eventually became known as Halloween. Yep. But let’s get a bit of scholarly research on the subject before raising that famous ire against things non-Christian.
Samhain was an agricultural holiday celebrating the beginning of a new yearly cycle and for feasting, parliaments, and formal games. Evidence suggests from an old ballad that the holiday was originally observed on November 11.
In some Celtic countries, this date is still regarded as "Old Samhain". There is NO evidence of a deity known as Samhain, the supposed Druid god of the dead. The word simply means summer's end. The Celtic gods of the dead were Gwynn ap Nudd (British) and Arawn (Welsh).
We ended up with the October 31 date after the Gregorian Calendar was implemented by another Pope in the 1500s—Gregory XIII—long after the Gregory III died (A.D. 741).
Most historians agree that Gregory III changed the date of the feast for economic reasons. Rome was swamped with pilgrims coming in the spring right after Easter, which meant supplies were low. It’s much like a Southern run on bread and milk when snow is forecasted. Get to the store late, and all you’ll see are bare shelves with only a bag or two of hot dog buns.
Other researchers, while agreeing with the springtime economic strain, point out that Gregory’s decision may have been a deliberate attempt to move the Christian feast to coincide with Samhain. Wait! Hold your tongue before saying, “See, I TOLD you…another Christian holiday with pagan roots!”
I've noticed the Church has no problem introducing alternative parties on Halloween. In my home state of South Carolina, these events are called 'Hallelujah Parties".
Imagine 150 years from now if October 31 becomes the date for a strictly Christian holiday known as "Hallelujah Night". Still, controversy reigns because folks will point out that in "ancient" times, it was a pagan festival about demons, witches, and ghosts.
Yet, all the church did was start alternative celebrations that allowed children to enjoy getting candy, dressing up, and having a good time. There was no insidious plot to mix a godless religion with Christianity.
Hence, think this through logically. The pagan observance of Samhain existed before the Feast of All Saints. All Romans throughout the empire, including Christians, were given time off from work for the festivities, but believers did not enjoin themselves to all the pagan revelry.
Wise old Gregory provided a Christian “alternative” in the midst of the celebrations—just as we do today for Halloween. Not only could the faithful enjoy their days off and feast like everybody else in town—but also their alternative was a great calling card to the unsaved. (And the two observances have much in common, which I’ll explore later in this article.)
"Live wisely among those who are not believers, and make the most of every opportunity." (Colossians 4:5)
Historians point to Julius Caesar and other Romans for stirring up misinformation about the people they wanted to conquer so that the populace would rally behind them and fill up the war chest.
Caesar was the one who mentioned Celtic sacrifices, using it as a justification for: "why we have to conquer these people." (Commentarii de Bello Gallico (Commentary on the Gallic War)
Did the Celts practice human sacrifice? Maybe. Many cultures at early stages of development did--including Rome. Human sacrifices to gods were abandoned by Romans only after 113 BC. But let's not forget the legal and celebrated Roman Coliseum games--replete with gladiatorial fights to the death and Christians being mutilated by lions to the cheers of the 'civilized' crowd!
Bones found in peat bogs that were initially thought to be evidence of Druidic human sacrifices are now considered by archaeologists to represent judicial killings instead.
Animals were culled during harvest time so that the stronger ones in the herds would make it through winter. No doubt, these animals were used for feasting and as offerings to Celtic gods.
You must be advised that the Romans spread nasty propaganda about us, too:
Here's a portion of dialogue between two characters in Menicus Felix's first-century work, Octavius, that reflects the typical Roman beliefs that existed about the new 'cult':
"As for the initiation of new members, the details are as disgusting as they are well known. The novice himself, deceived by the coating of dough (covering a sacrificial infant), thinks the stabs are harmless. Then, it's horrible!
They hungrily drink the blood and compete with one another as they divide his limbs. And the fact they all share knowledge of the crime pledges them all to silence. On the feast-day they foregather with all their children, sisters, mothers, people of either sex and all ages.
Now, in the dark, so favorable to shameless behavior, they twine the bonds of unnamable passion, as chance decides. Precisely the secrecy of this evil religion proves that all these things, or practically all, are true."
Notice the last line: "...or practically all, are TRUE." What were the Germans told about the Jews prior to World War II? Now, will you admit that perhaps what we've been told about the history of Halloween is not true?
One damaging book, written in 1873, is Two Babylons or the Papal Worship, by Alexander Hislop. It attempts to tie the Catholic Church to ancient Druidism and is full of "shocking rituals and beliefs". Hislop never intended for his work to be historically accurate. It was a cleverly disguised treatise for his hateful bigotry. Witnessing tracts by shock pencil "Christians" such as Jack Chick, use works like Hislop's to deliberately spread misinformation, fear, and judgment to satisfy their prejudices.
And we wonder why modern-day Wiccans and pagans rarely convert or return to the faith of their childhood! We Christians claim to know-it-all, disperse hearsay as gospel, and gleefully sit in judgment over those who dare not believe as we do.
Okay. I’m off my soapbox…for now. So, just how did the early Christians celebrate the Feast of All Saints? As I mentioned before, our ancient ancestors in the faith did not look at death the way we do today—full of dread and spooky superstitions.
 |
| Fresco in a Roman Catacomb of Christians feasting and honoring a departed loved one |
Pagans burned the bodies of the departed and Romans cremated their dead. Christians preferred burial of the entire body, if possible. In their minds, they were lovingly storing and overseeing a precious treasure that would one day be resurrected unto glory. However, please don’t feel bad if you favor cremation. Customs and beliefs aside, here’s the reality:
Even a well-embalmed body eventually decomposes and becomes part of the earth's cycle of life and decay. As we know, some bodies are torn, burned, and even vaporized in this world full of violence and tragedy; yet, the souls of these individuals remain intact and housed by God. The day will come when He will resurrect and unite each body with its existing, fully aware spirit/soul—unto either everlasting glory or regret.
No body maintains its continuity, even in life. Every seven years we get a "new" body as cells regenerate and die. What IS constant, however, is our genetic coding. In the Christian Resurrection, the person’s physical body will rise, but it will function differently-- as Jesus demonstrated in His resurrected body prior to the Ascension.
Understanding this truth helps us realize that burial customs are only for the benefit of those left temporarily behind...a comforting way to say good-bye while at the same time holding on to what remains of our loved ones. Embalmment, a grave, a headstone, an urn--these things help us stay tangibly connected until we are reunited.
Thus, be comforted with these words from Tatian: 'I am laid up in the storehouse of a wealthy Lord."
Earlier Christians understood they remained tied to their departed loves ones by their placement in Christ. Those alive on earth and those alive in Heaven were IN Christ together. Christians who had pierced the veil were nevertheless, still very close to their loves ones on earth:
But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect, to Jesus the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel. (Hebrews 12:22-24)
The writer of Hebrews is saying that when someone accepts Jesus, he or she becomes a citizen of a spiritual community that encompasses not only believers on earth, but a city of angels and of Christians in Heaven. We will not one day "come" into its reality--we have already arrived!
Early Christians were taught properly that they remained united to the departed in Christ through His atoning sacrifice and blood, and demonstrated this profound truth by taking Communion every time they gathered. They believed, as I do today, that while partaking of the Body and Blood of Jesus, a holy intimacy is shared with our loved ones as at no other time.
Could it be that when we worship, they are worshiping with us? When we pray, are they adding their amens? When we are in sorrow, could they be making intercession to encourage us? And when we are tempted, do their petitions before the Throne lend us strength?
I am convinced Heaven is closer than anyone has ever imagined. I don't think of my home in God in geographical terms anymore, but dimensional. A friend of mine, a former nuclear physicist, said scientists are aware of 10 dimensions so far that occupy the same space.
We live in three of these spatial realities: up, down; forwards, backwards; left, right--with time as the fourth dimension. Don't ask me to explain any further. It already blows my mind! As a result, angels don't travel here...they simply step into our world.
“...since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” (Hebrews 12:1)
The word “cloud” in classical Greek, Latin, and Hebrew is a metaphor for a great multitude. The word “witnesses” means witnesses to the sincerity and the reward of faith.
However, what’s exciting is the meaning of the word “surrounded”: We know our Heavenly family is witnessing us as well because the word literally means surrounding us on all sides, like the witnesses in a circus or a theatre!
I love this quote on the occasion of the feast by John O’Donahue, Celtic Christian poet and priest:
“Hallowtide - All Saints' and All Souls' is that time of year when we honour our ancestors ....
"... one of the great storehouses of blessing is the invisible neighbourhood where the dead dwell. Our friends among the dead now live where time and space are transfigured. They behold us now in ways they never could have when they lived beside us on earth.
“Because they live near the source of destiny, their blessings for us are accurate and penetrating, offering a divine illumination not available according to the calculations of the given visible world. Perhaps one of the surprises of death will be a retrospective view of the lives we lived here and to see how our friends among the dead clothed us in weave after weave of blessing.”
You see, the ancient Celts also believed in honoring their departed during their harvest festival. Celtic life revolved around the land, and the people were totally dependent upon the harvest
Samhain was considered a divide between the season of cold and warm. Beltain, signaling the start of summer, was celebrated six months later. These days were looked upon as "non-days"--divides between what was and what is to come.
As a result, they believed that the veil between the two worlds--the living and the dead--was thinnest during this brief period. Celtic life was not only tied to the land, but to family. Quality of life and continuance of the tribe depended upon this cohesive, harmonious bond.
Having primarily an oral tradition, the Celts gathered around the bonfires to tell stories of old warriors and leaders to inspire future generations to take up their mantles within the tribe. At Samhain, it was believed the spirits of the ancestors were able to pierce the thin veil and lend their presence to the festivities. It became customary to put out symbolic gifts of fruit for them.
There is just NO credible evidence of ritualistic, Druidic channeling or calling forth demons to roam the earth, although it does appear the Celts believed they could receive guidance from their ancestors at this time.
Celts had nothing in their religious beliefs akin to the classical, Christian concept of Hell; consequently, there was no doctrine about a devil and his demons and no place of eternal punishment. The ideas of bad ghosts, witches, gnomes, and elves are seen much later in Irish folklore--interestingly AFTER the Christianization of these lands. (Watch the video below.)
While our loved ones in Christ never return to earth, nor are we permitted to “channel” them for guidance, there are at times when we sense their nearness--a familiar smell or song will turn our attention to their memory. They have not been conjured up by an Endorian witch nor have they crossed the divide. I believe it is simply God’s way of reminding us that our loved ones who died in the faith are safe with Him—joyful, productive, and eagerly awaiting our reunion.
Pagans look for “thin” places in the earth where they can commune with the spirit world. To the Christian, however, every place is thin. Being able to connect spiritually to Christ and the Host in Heaven is not determined by a certain spot on the earth, but by our fixed residency in Him.
One Sunday at church, I was despondent over a personal issue. As hard as I tried, I could not remove the worry of the matter from my mind during praise and worship. At one point, I managed to lift my hands and look up. For a brief moment, I “saw” my parents, both deceased, through the eyes of faith. Each one reached a hand in my direction. Together they said, “If you could see what we see, and know what we know!”
The vision ended quickly; but in those few seconds, I became energized and the heaviness left. I lifted my hands in adoration and joy with tears streaming down my face. Now I focused on Him, not me. I had put on a garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61: 2, 3).
What happened to me was not about wandering ghosts, demons, or mediumship. I didn’t seek it; it came to me. And the encounter drew me closer to the Lord. I never obsessed over the vision or tried to make it happen again. My parents, who passed from the earth in the 1980s, are in the same place as I am today--secure and safe in Christ!
Truth be told, they are more alive than I am right now, for they live unhindered and free from the effects of the fall. They behold the face of God, and are the most productive and fruitful they have ever been. They will return with Him to be united to their physical bodies as we who are alive are transformed. Then together, we will all be glorified and join in the rule of our King in a once again seamless Heaven and Earth. We’ll receive our rewards and get on with the Father’s business throughout His vast domain.
All right, let’s wrap up. How can a family today practically celebrate the Feast of All Saints?
I think at the evening meal on November 1, a discussion of favorite saints from the Bible would be fun. Have each person draw a name and see if they remember what he or she did to be included in the Bible’s “Hall of Faith”. The next night could be a remembrance of personal loved ones that have passed--recalling favorite memories, photos, and their faith in Christ. There are time-honored liturgies that include prayers and Bible readings in the Catholic, Anglican, Orthodox, and Celtic traditions (available easily online). Our children need more heroes within their families, rather than looking to athletes and entertainers as role models.
You don’t have to eat a meal at the graveside, but it would be nice to visit, say a prayer, and light candles to burn throughout the night, showing that even in our darkest moments of separation and grief, Christ is our light.
The candles also signify that morning will soon come…and those found in Christ will no longer have need of the sun, neither the moon to shine among us: the glory of God and the Lamb (Jesus) will be our everlasting light.
So there you have it. The CHURCH is where the idea arose in Medieval times of making fun of the forces of evil on All Hallow's Eve--“All Hallows” (holy saints)--later contracted into Hallow-e'-en, then into the modern Halloween.
It's true: most of the symbols of Halloween--the jack o' lantern, black cats, and trick-or-treating arose after the Christianization of Celtic lands.
Even the great Protestant Reformer, Martin Luther weighed in on the matter:
“Whenever the devil harasses you, seek the company of men or drink more, or joke and talk nonsense, or do some other merry thing..."
And why not? How appropriate...that on the night before honoring our loved ones who have passed, we make fun of death and all of its representative minions--both mortal and immortal--that took them away from us.
We mock and laugh at their attempts to envelope us in a hopeless darkness because we know they were stripped of their authority to hold us in death and sorrow. We know the sting and tyranny of death has been removed, and Jesus--not satan--has the keys to death and the grave. Yes, we laugh like God does:
The kings of the earth take their places; the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and His Anointed One (the Messiah, the Christ). They say, Let us break Their bands [of restraint] asunder and cast Their cords [of control] from us. He Who sits in the heavens laughs; the Lord has them in derision [and in supreme contempt He mocks them]. (Psalm 2: 2-4)
The devil was stripped of his authority at Calvary. However, he still wields power through deceived, fallen mankind to steal, kill, and destroy. At the return of the Lord, sin and satan's power will be taken away for good. There will be no more sickness, disorders, or accidents; no sorrow, no tears, and no more separations. No more death--ever!
No comments:
Post a Comment