All Saints 01 11 2026
FIRST READING: Revelation 7.9-end
NEW TESTAMENT READING: 1 John 3.1-3
GOSPEL Matthew 5.1-12
On the first of November we celebrate a very significant festival in the church. It is celebrated as All Saints Day. We celebrate All Saints also on a Sunday closest to the 1st of November.
The word saints is understood in a variety of ways. Saints are the martyrs of the church, they are people who inspire others to a life of holiness, all Christian believers are referred to as Saints.
Firstly saints refer to all those people who were killed as martyrs, who gave up their lives for the sake of their faith in Jesus Christ. They are called saints. The first martyr of the church was Stephen and we read about him in the book of Acts. Ever since there have been a great multitude of people who would not denounce their faith in Jesus Christ. Even if they were tortured and killed they would happily give up their lives than denounce Jesus Christ.
There is another group of people whom we call Saints and they were the ones who lived their faith in Jesus Christ. Their lives were an inspiration for others to follow Jesus Christ because their lives pointed to Jesus Christ. They absorbed the gospel of Jesus Christ that was reflected in their life of holiness. We are named after St. Edward. He was one such person who was a different kind of King and lived a life of faith.
St. Paul called all those who believed in Jesus Christ as Saints. He taught saying, though we are people with weaknesses and shortcomings we are called to be saints.
While writing to the church in Ephesus he wrote: ‘So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as