Pop culture and media are increasingly imposing pagan traditions on Poles. Halloween. This festival has its roots in the Celtic tradition and refers to the Samhain festival, which was celebrated in the territory of present-day Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The Celts believed that the night of October 31st to November 1, the planet of the surviving and the dead merged, and the souls of the dead return to Earth to visit their loved ones. How is it different from our All Saints Day?
The essence of All Saints, unlike Halloween, is the essence of light, not darkness. In the Church on 1 November we call the Day of All Saints, in remembrance of Catholic heroes and martyrs, both known and unknown.
The Church, in order to encourage us to endure in work, to bravely overcome the adversity of life and to sanctify ourselves, cites to us the sight of heaven with an uncounted crowd of saints who got there after the same hardships, works, sufferings that we are experiencing today. They were just as weak as we, just as inclined to sin, and yet they defeated the world, the flesh, the temptations of hell, overcame the attraction to evil and got to heaven.
While it is not only in human power to overcome all worldly adversities and to get to heaven, it must so be noted that the power of God and the grace of Jesus Christ is triumphant in the saints. The glory of the saints in heaven is to participate in the glory of Jesus Christ, who is “the first-born among all brethren.” The grace of Jesus Christ triumphs in the saints. Today, therefore, we worship not only the saints themselves, but above all Christ himself, whose grace has proved to be very effective and fruitful in them.
These truths should give us a strong hope of reaching heaven. Beware of self-reliance. It all depends on the grace of Christ and the most accomplishment of heaven. Christ doesn't deny it. By giving us any grace he gives us the same intent of heaven. We have received so much of his grace so far.
Therefore, let us trust in his love that we will receive heaven through his grace. For us the Father created heaven, for us the boy opened it, for heaven the Holy Spirit sanctifys us. St. Paul recommends that we do so “We who have hastened to seize the hope given to us, and hold on to it as a safe and safe anchor of our soul pervading beyond the veil, where Jesus ascended before us.” (Hbr 6, 18–20).
To increase comfort and to strengthen the hope of heaven, we besides have the fact that in the Holy 1 we have intermediaries who are willing to aid us erstwhile we worship them with humility and call on us with devotion. There is only 1 Mediator, as Saint Paul emphasizes in his letters. But it does not conflict that the Saints, in close dependence on Christ as the chief Mediator, intercede for us. Christ, the King of all Saints, sacrifices for us to his heavenly Father his infinite merit and shows His wounds to win mercy.
The Queen of the Saints, together with God's Son, intercedes to ask for the graces we request as a co-recipient. And the saints, showing their merit, their works, their virtues, their sufferings, pray for your salvation, that you may be happy with them. They proved to be faithful friends of God on earth, so they can now make many pleas in heaven. They especially honored Jesus, praised Mary, so God considers himself as an work to them. Finally, the saints love us with the purest love, so they want us heaven and aid us in all way, and above all, by taking out graces so that we may attain eternal happiness.
That's the point of today's holiday.
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