Sermon on the Feast of All Saints
The heavens shall confess thy wonders, O Lord: and thy truth in the church of the saints (Ps. 88:3). The heavens display God’s wonders day by day, brightening the earth through the sun, moon, and stars. The assembly of the saints praises his truth when the congregation of the just gives thanks for all things that have been made through Christ, who is the Truth. The heavens will confess God’s wonders when, along with the stars and every creature, they are transformed in incomparable splendor. Then the assembly of the saints will praise God’s truth, because the generation of the righteous shall be blessed (Ps. 111:2) by Christ in the Last Judgment. The heavens declare God’s wonders because the angels, in whom God dwells, sing endless melodies about God’s mighty deeds. The assembly of saints confesses His truth, because the gathering of the blessed in the Heavenly Jerusalem raises a perpetual hymn to Christ’s good works. And so, my best beloved, as we celebrate today the Solemnity of All Saints, let the hearts and mouths of this congregation sing, together with the angels, Christ, God’s truth, and let us magnify his saints with worthy praises, so that helped along by their merits we may rejoice eternally in the joy of the Lord.
In the first place let us magnify the Lord our Lofty God in the voice of exultation and jubilation (Ps. 41:5), because in his majesty he has built the whole world, a feat about which the angelic symphony, whose praise is sweet to the assembly of the saints (Ps. 41:5) sings praises without end. Let us devoutly call to mind the Trinity’s unity, and humbly adore the Unity’s trinity, by which the worshipful angels are elevated, and lowly man is raised up to heavenly things. Again today we must praise the Holy of Holies in his Hallows, whose holiness sanctifies his faithful people, rewards them with eternal life, and blesses them with glory everlasting.
Next let us praise the Glorious and Ever-virgin Mary, Mother of God with our highest praises, for she restored a fallen world to life, she is the Queen of Heaven honored by all the angels, she the Mistress of the World venerated by all the saints. On this day let us sing a sweet harmony to Mary as the gate of life, who opened us the way to eternal life.
Next we must glorify the awesome nine-fold ranks of blessed spirits, who have been imprinted with the stamp of God’s likeness, and who enjoy the full and happy glory of supreme blessedness. These are worthy to always see the Father’s face and to gaze without interruption upon him whose beauty the sun and moon marvel at. Three of them, Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, designate the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost in their names.1 The other angels express the Holy Trinity, because they are divided into three times three orders. If we give worship to them and join their praises through noble living, we will surely be made equal to them in that true life, joining them and all the saints in hymns to the Lord.
Then in hymns today let us praise the humans who are the angels’ fellow citizens (cf. Eph. 2:19) those who are already friends of the angels in the heavens, who praise the Great God along with them. Of their number let the files of patriarchs be mentioned first in our praises, them from whose seed sprung Christ the glory of all the saints and the joy and happiness of the angels. They prefigured Christ and his Church in types and acted out, as it were, the mysteries of the Church with their very lives and works. For Adam is created from the clean earth, and from his side the woman is formed; in this he is a type of Christ, who is conceived of a chaste maiden, from whose side the Church is built. The other twelve chief patriarchs foreshadow the Apostolic Senate. Through Seth, Enoch, Noe, Melchisedech, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, Job, Samuel, and David, who are mentioned by name, the faithful before the Law were propped up, as it were on sturdy columns.
Thereafter we must recall the prophets and loudly declaim their names, for they foretold Christ’s mysteries, and in their own passions glorified Christ’s coming Passion for the sake of the world. Among them Elias and Eliseus foretell Christ, the former by raising the dead, the latter by entering heaven still living. Four outstanding prophets, namely Isaias, Jeremias, Ezechiel, and Daniel, prefigure the four evangelists by filling the four corners of the world with their reams of writings. The other twelve, to wit Osee, Joel, Amos, Abdias, Jonas, Micheas, Nahum, Habacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zacharias, and Malachias, expressed the twelve apostles when in their writings and example they instructed the people under the Law in the ways of eternal life. John the Baptist, the greatest among them that are born of women (Mt. 1:11; Lk. 7:28) shone brightest among the prophets, when, anticipating the true Sun like the Day-star, he heralded the everlasting Day. He was worthy to point out the Lamb of the Father who would take away the sins of the world, and to plunge under the waters him whose coming the choir of prophets had prophesied of old.
Now, dearly beloved, let us resound with a sweet melody for the preachers of new grace, the heralds of eternal life, judges of the world and princes of the churches: I speak of the apostles and evangelists. Let us celebrate with utmost devotion those who were worthy to see the Word, coëternal with the Father (cf. Jn. 1) incarnate for our sake, with their own eyes, to touch him with their hands, hear him with their ears (I Jn. 1:1–3), to learn from his own mouth the secrets of the Father, to see him who was God himself, to climb up to the Father’s throne, and to speak all manner of tongues through the Holy Ghost. They adorned the Church, Christ’s bride, as it were with jewels and necklaces by their miracles and writings, washed her with their own blood, placed her upon the skiff of the Holy Rood and like strong sailors brought her in through the billows of this world to the harbor of life. Thereafter the four evangelists by their teaching drove her like a chariot from the four corners of the world into the heavenly palace. Among them Peter was crucified for Christ in Italy, Andrew condemned to the gibbet in Achæa, John plunged into a cauldron of burning oil in Rome, James slain by the sword in Judæa, Thomas pierced with a spear in India, Bartholomew flayed and beheaded in western India, Philip stoned to death while crucified in Asia, James killed with a lance in Jerusalem after being flung down from the Temple, Simon and Jude put to death in Persia, Matthew dispatched to the stars by the sword in Ethiopia and Matthias in Judæa by the blade. Paul too, who toiled more than all of them (I Cor. 15:10), did not hesitate to stick his neck out for Christ in Rome.
They, friends of the Great God, these supreme generals and glorious senators, now proudly triumph in the angelic court. By their verdict, those who imitate and truly praise them are assigned to revel in the lot of the just.
After them we must praise the choir of martyrs, by whose entreaties the world seated in wickedness (I Jn. 5:19) will be saved. These worthy soldiers of the eternal King shed their blood fighting for their donative,2 and, having obtained victory over their enemies, have merited a triumph in the heavens wearing a green garland crown. Of their ranks, their standard-bearer Stephen was stoned, his attendant Laurence was roasted alive, George was butchered on the wheel, Maurice was pierced by the sword, and today Cæsarius was cast into the sea.3 Others suffered various torments, some stabbed by the blade, others suffocated by the noose, the flames, or the waves, others torn apart by wild beasts, others killed by hunger, by scourges, or the precipice. They were all in various ways made a mockery to the world (I Cor. 4:9) but now, clothed with white robes in sight of the Lamb (Apoc. 7:19) and bearing palms, they have merited to become messmates with the angels. Let us give them praises that we might someday be made worthy to march alongside them under the Lamb through our praise.
Then let us extol the Church’s lamps, namely the confessors, illustrious painters of God’s house. Let us proclaim with befitting praise the merits of those who watered the entire Church with the streams of Scripture and adorned her with extraordinary miracles and good examples. Among them Martin, Nicholas, Remigius, Ulrich,4 and many others shone with glorious miracles as lights to the world. Ambrose, Augustine, Jerome, Gregory, and many others watered God’s garden like the four rivers of paradise with their copious writings, and gladdened the city of God with the stream of their preaching. Because they watchfully awaited our Lord’s return from the wedding (cf. Mt. 25:21) they have merited to be placed over all his goods in the joy of the Lord (Mt. 24:47).
To theirs we join praises for the band of monks and hermits, who crucified their flesh with the vices and concupiscences (Gal. 5:24), and therefore as joint heirs with Christ (Rom. 8:17) have already received a hundredfold (Mt. 19:29). The world detested their way of life, recoiled in horror from them, and spewed them out like a filthy refuse. And they enlightened the world with their life and deeds and withdrew from it with their whole heart and soul. Fleeing the company of men, they dwelt together with beasts in solitude and so were worthy to enjoy the sight and conversation of the angels. Among them Benedict shone foremost with wondrous miracles and prodigies as with a volcanic radiance, and leading the way before us with his marvelous teaching, he nobly offered light to those hastening on the way to eternal life. Among their college, Anthony, Pachomius, Hilarion, Macharius, and numberless others shone like stars in the dark night of this world by their miracles and examples of holy life, and dragged many who imitated them back from the shipwreck of this age to the true light. Since they were once held in derision and in reproach, their life was thought madness, and their end extinction, lo! they are now reckoned among the sons of God (Wis. 5:3–5).
Next it is meet that we turn our melodies to the sparkling white virgins and sound their praises with loud voices. They vanquished the world and their sex, spurned fleshly allurements and earthly pomps, scorned the threats and bribes of tyrants, and by various torments attained the embrace of their Bridegroom they had yearned for so long. And so now they follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth (Apoc. 14:4) and sing a new song no one else can sing. Among them Thecla was exposed to the beasts and tortured with fire, Agatha had her breasts severed and was rolled upon burning sherds, Agnes was thrust into the flames and then stabbed in the throat, Cæcilia was put in a boiling bath and then slain by the sword, Margaret was torn apart in various tortures, and Lucy was put into a bonfire and killed by the blade. Other numberless virgins were tortured and, meeting similar fates, went forth to Christ the Son of the Virgin. Others still joined them through pious meditation and thus reached his Virgin Mother. Because they met their Bridegroom with lighted lamps (cf. Mt. 25:1–13), they shall go with him to the wedding. To their praises we join the widows, who for Christ’s sake did not remarry. Among them Felicity offered herself as a living sacrifice with her seven sons, Symphorosa gave herself up as a victim for Christ with as many sons, and Theodota merited to be immolated for Christ with her three sons, as did Sophia with her three daughters. Thus many others attained the kingdom of heaven by being afflicted with various torments. Others still zealously keeping continence with pious works now rejoice with the prudent virgins.
Let us now loose our tongues to ring out praise for married people and render due honor to those by whose procreation the world is repaired and who serve Christ daily in his members. Among them Hadrian suffered death for Christ at the exhortation of his wife, Marcellian and Mark forsook their wives at the instigation of Sebastian and offered themselves up to the judge, and Eustace underwent death today with his wife and sons. And numberless others obtained incomparable riches for their good works.
With them let us praise the penitents who zealously follow the examples of those who redeemed their sins with alms (Dan. 4:24) and covered their past trespasses with later good works. Among them he who was deceived by the beauty of a maiden but got back the letter he had handed to the devil through Basil; Theophilus, who became an apostate through ambition, but as a penitent got back through God’s mother the contract he had made with the devil through God’s mother; Mary of Egypt, Pelagia, Thaïs, and the hermit’s sister, once living in the squalor of prostitution, through penance became Christ’s passionate lovers. And many others without number were granted the gift of life when they did penance.
Let us conclude by adding to our praises all the faithful people, and try to be one of their number, they who cleaved to the Church through faith as limbs to a body and through good works now have reached Christ the Head. Among them many soldiers shed their own blood regularly fighting in defense of Mother Church, many farmers wear out their bodies in the effort to feed her, numerous women are steadfast in chastity, and so many children flourish by honoring their parents. Since the impious taunted them as they travailed in the Lord’s vineyard, now they revel in God’s praise in their rest.
All of them adorned God’s garden like so many flowers, and transpired the odor of eternal life in their words and deeds. Hence when Isaac blessed Jacob, he said these words: Behold the smell of my son is as the smell of a plentiful field, which the Lord hath blessed (Gen. 27:27). Isaac blessed Jacob because Christ assigned a blessing to the faithful. The plentiful field is the whole world imbued with the odor of the saints. The various flowers are the various ways of life of the just. Among them the patriarchs blossomed in faith like daffodils, the prophets gleamed in hope like hyacinths, the apostles excelled in charity like branches of the true Vine sprouting the flower of the grape (cf. Jn. 15), the martyrs flushed like roses in their long-suffering, the confessors shone like crocuses in their wisdom, the virgins glimmered like lilies in their chastity, the monks sported the royal purple of humility like violets, and the married and other believers expressed by other flowers were radiant in their virtues. All of them feast with rejoicing in the sight of God and are delighted in gladness (Ps. 67:4). They no longer hunger or thirst (Apoc. 7:16), but abound in all manner of delights as their reward, and will yet have a double joy when in both body and soul they see the King of glory in his beauty (Is. 33:17). Then, forsooth, they shall shine as the sun (Mt. 13:43) and be peers of the angels (cf. Lk. 20:36).
Endnotes
1 The names of the three archangels all end with ‘el,’ which means ‘God’ in Hebrew.
2 In ancient Rome, the donative was a largesse given by the emperor to each soldier of the army, at his accession or majority, or other extraordinary occasion.
3 November 1 was also the feast of St. Cæsarius of Terracina.
4 St. Ulrich, bishop of Augsburg (893–973). These four saints appear together in many German diocesan litanies. In place of Ulrich, other manuscripts read St. Rupert of Salzburg (660–710), a bishop and abbot who was active in Regensburg and the area of Salzburg, where he is buried. Both were highly venerated in South Germany.
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