All Saints Day, Hallowmas or Feast of All Saints in Christendom is a day commemorating all the saints of the church, both known and unknown, who, according to some doctrines have attained heaven. In Roman Catholicism, the feast is usually a holy day of obligation.
The origin of All Saints Day cannot be traced with certainty. It has been observed on various days in different places. The first evidence for the November first date of celebration and of the broadening of the festival to include All Saints and all martyrs, occurred during the reign of Pope Gregory the third, who dedicated a chapel in Saint Peters, Rome, on November 1, in honour of all saints. In medieval England, the festival was known as All Hallows, and its eve is still known as Halloween.
The celebration of days in honour of the Saints or heroes of the faith, is an extension of the devotion paid to Christ, since they are commemorated for the virtues in life and death that derive from his grace and holiness. The holiday is typically observed with a reading of the beatitudes – the eight blessings recounted by Jesus in his sermon on the mount as recorded in the gospel Saint Matthew. Some also observe All Saints’ Day by leaving offerings of flowers to dead relatives. Others light candles in remembrance and visit the graves of deceased relatives.
One of the features of the All Saints’ Day is praying for the dead. Eastern and oriental orthodox believe in the possibility of a situation change for the souls of the dead through the prayers of the living. Prayer for the dead is encouraged in the belief that it is helpful for them, although how the prayers of the faithful help the departed is not elucidated. Eastern Orthodox simply believe that tradition teaches that prayers should be made for the dead.
The various prayers for the departed have as their purpose to pray for the repose of the departed, to comfort the living, and to remind those who remain of their own mortality. For this reason, memorial services have an air of penitence about them.
So, as Christians the world over celebrate the All Saints’ Day, relentless prayers should be said for the state of the Nigerian nation, which has been engulfed in various strife, insecurity, inflation, hunger and starvation.
As Christians remember the dead Saints, Nigerians should also pray for government intervention to address the problems of bad roads, epileptic power supply, all forms of oppression, as well as for the peace, unity, meaningful change and development in the country. With the consequences of insecurity on innocent lives across the nation, there is even more cause for prayer to end all forms of devisive tendencies in the land.
Also, with the spirit of impunity ravaging the rank and file of the nation’s political class, military hierarchy and other sections of the federal civil service, a nationwide prayer seems a panacea for Nigeria to embrace its federal character principles and the indivisibility status. In fact, there is need for a nationwide prayer for the Almighty to heal the land.
May this years’ All Saints’ Day be a spring board for an all round peace and harmony, progress, stability, development and total transformation of the country.
May God hear our prayers.
Written by ABUCHI NWOZOR
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