On the heels of the Reformation, celebrating the festival of All Saints might seem strange. The Church has always honored the believers who have gone before them (and that’s what every saint is). We do not pray to the saints. The saints do not intercede for us individually or help us in particular times of need. Yet, the saints are a real gift of God to believers. In their lives, we see God’s mercy at work. Each saint in heaven was a sinner who struggled with a sinful nature on earth. We know, in their stories, how God deals with sinners. Each saint is a historical testament to the power of God. We know, in their stories, how God works through sinners. We admire their deeds of faith and draw encouragement from them. But Scripture teaches that we, too, are saints. Though we struggle against our sinful nature, God has made us his holy people, his royal priesthood, that we may declare the praises of the Lord who called us out of darkness into his wonderful light, just like all the saints.
