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All Saints & All Souls Day

All Saints & All Souls Day: Nov. 1st & 2nd

Have you ever thought about being a saint? As Catholics, we believe that we are ALL called to a life of universal holiness and striving for sanctification. When I read the book, Rediscover the Saints, by Matthew Kelly, I was struck by one of the questions he posed. In his book, Kelly asked how many times do you pray that your children become saints? Wow! What a wonderful prayer! Since reading this, I have made it a point to pray to the Lord that if it be His will, please let me children be saints in His eyes. Prayer is so important; and as parents, asking the Blessed Mother, Saint Joseph, and of course the Lord Himself, to help you raise your children and help them have a faith that grows and grows in love and devotion for the Lord all the days of their lives and become saints in His eyes, I believe is one of the greatest blessings and most wonderful things we as parents can do for our children.

The day after Halloween—All Hallows Eve—is All Saints Day, followed by All Souls Day on November 2nd. Having your children pick a saint they are interested in to dress up as on Halloween and/or All Saints Day is a great way to help your children learn about the many saints in the Catholic Church. Last year, my toddlers dressed up as Saint Joseph and Saint Gianna as they went trick-or-treating. We were able to discuss both saints with them, and then they got to have fun dressing up/pretending to be them. There are so many saints with different backgrounds who come from different counties and different times in history, your children are bound to find one they will love. Here is a link from “Catholic Icing” with saint costume ideas for girls  and a link, also from “Catholic Icing” with saint costume ideas for boys. Today is a great time to remind your children and family that we are ALL called to be saints. We are ALL called to live our lives in ways that inspire and help lead those we encounter to Christ, and looking to the saints in all their diversity shows us that it is indeed possible for anyone to become a saint through the grace of God. Matthew Kelly, author, speaker and founder of Dynamic Catholic, offers the advice to “make each moment a holy moment” as a way that can help you grow in saintliness. How will you grow in saintliness today?


Celebrating All Saints Day and All Souls Day Through Food:

Another tradition you and your family can incorporate to celebrate All Saints Day is make “soul cakes.” Here is a recipe  from “Catholic Cuisine” for making soul cakes. These yummy cakes were traditionally served in Europe  this time of year.

Reading:

A great book you and your family can read together is “Saintly Rhymes for Modern Times”. Written in verse, this book gives a brief overview of a variety of modern Saints. My two toddlers love reading this book and remember saints from this book when we watch  “My Catholic Family”  cartoons from EWTN. 

Music and Craft:

Listen and sing along with the song “When the Saints Go Marching In,” and then have your children draw their faces and write how they can be saints and make Holy moments around their face. Put their drawings in page protectors and let them use them as placemats at breakfast each morning to remind them to strive for sanctity each day; and let them know hat each day is always a new opportunity to try again.

Happy All Saints Day and All Souls Day to you and your family! 


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