If you are Catholic, you probably know that today, November 1, is All Saints' Day. On this day, we celebrate and remember all of those souls who reside with God in Heaven. Usually, when we think of saints, we think of those who have been formally canonized by the Vatican because they lived exceptionally pure, kind, and compassionate lives and because miracles happened as a result of their intercession. What is intercession?
There are plenty of reasons why I don't like Catholicism, but one of the reasons I DO like it is because of what the Church teaches about saints and intercession. We can ask the saints to pray to God for us; they can intercede on our behalf. Yes, we can also pray directly to God ourselves, but we believe that when a soul is so incredibly close to God in ways that really can't be understood from an earthly perspective, that God will indeed have mercy and grant what is requested.
Catholics also believe that a soul does not have to be canonized to be a 'saint.' ALL souls in Heaven are referred to as saints. So, that means that each of us has ancestors who are saints and whose lives we can remember and celebrate on this day. AND it means that we each have people who we can ask to pray for us. I did this the other day; my leg was hurting pretty badly and I asked my grandma to pray for me. Yes, I suppose I am just assuming that she is in Heaven; I don't really know for sure. (If she didn't make it to Heaven, I have no chance!) Usually when I try to pray to a canonized saint, I'm always left with the impression of "Well, did they hear me? Did I get through amist everyone elses' requests?" But when I ask a loved one to pray for me, I'm SURE that he/she heard me and DID pray for me. And I am comforted by the fact that they can still be a part of my life even if they aren't here with me now.
My Grandmother among the saints:
There are plenty of reasons why I don't like Catholicism, but one of the reasons I DO like it is because of what the Church teaches about saints and intercession. We can ask the saints to pray to God for us; they can intercede on our behalf. Yes, we can also pray directly to God ourselves, but we believe that when a soul is so incredibly close to God in ways that really can't be understood from an earthly perspective, that God will indeed have mercy and grant what is requested.
Catholics also believe that a soul does not have to be canonized to be a 'saint.' ALL souls in Heaven are referred to as saints. So, that means that each of us has ancestors who are saints and whose lives we can remember and celebrate on this day. AND it means that we each have people who we can ask to pray for us. I did this the other day; my leg was hurting pretty badly and I asked my grandma to pray for me. Yes, I suppose I am just assuming that she is in Heaven; I don't really know for sure. (If she didn't make it to Heaven, I have no chance!) Usually when I try to pray to a canonized saint, I'm always left with the impression of "Well, did they hear me? Did I get through amist everyone elses' requests?" But when I ask a loved one to pray for me, I'm SURE that he/she heard me and DID pray for me. And I am comforted by the fact that they can still be a part of my life even if they aren't here with me now.
My Grandmother among the saints:
 Mother Marianne Cope, canonized 21 Oct 2012 |  My Grandma: Dina Licciardi Bellan |  Kateri Tekakwitha, canonized 21 Oct 2012 |
So, I am grateful for the Feast of All Saints, and I am thinking of today as MY Saints' Day, a day when I can remember people in MY life who have passed on, who are hopefully with God in Heaven, and who will pray for me whenever I need it.
©2012, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
©2012, copyright Emily Kowalski Schroeder
