Advent

This year the season of Advent begins on Sunday, 29 November and ends on Thursday, 24 December.

 

Meaning of Advent

 

The word “Advent” is derived from the Latin word adventus, meaning “coming,” which is a translation of the Greek word parousia.  “Advent” means “arrival” or “coming,” and it prompts us to pause each day in December and remember why Jesus came at Christmas. Advent, the period beginning four Sundays before Christmas, is observed in commemoration of the coming of Christ into the world. The Advent season not only symbolizes the waiting for Christ's birth but also for his final return.

 

History of Advent

 

Advent began as early as the 4th and 5th centuries as a time of fasting and prayer for new Christians. The first mention of Advent occurred in 300 AD at a meeting of church leaders called the Council of Sargossa. It gradually developed into a season that stretched across the month of December.

 

Advent Wreath

The Advent wreath first appeared in Germany in 1839. A Lutheran minister working at a mission for children created a wreath out of the wheel of a cart. He placed twenty small red candles and four large white candles inside the ring. The red candles were lit on weekdays and the four white candles were lit on Sundays.

Eventually, the Advent wreath was created out of evergreens, symbolizing everlasting life in the midst of winter and death as the evergreen is continuously green. The circle reminds us of God’s unending love and the eternal life He makes possible.

Advent candles are often nestled in the evergreen wreath. Additional decorations, like holly and berries, are sometimes added. Their red colour points ahead to Jesus’ sacrifice and death on the cross, shedding his blood for our sins. Pinecones symbolize the new life that Jesus brings through His resurrection.

 

Advent candles

 

A new candle is lit on each of the four Sundays before Christmas. Each candle represents something different, although traditions vary. Many Advent wreaths also have a white candle in the centre to symbolize the arrival of Christmastide, sometimes known as the "Christ candle." It is lit on Christmas. The wreath and candles are full of symbolism tied to the Christmas season.

 

Advent worship is like a journey through the Christmas story. Christians use the Advent candles to celebrate this period with one lit every Sunday of Advent.

The first candle represents hope. The second candle peace. The pink candle, generally lit on the third Sunday of Advent, represents joy. The fourth candle signifies love.

This first candle represents hope or expectation in anticipation of the coming Messiah. The first candle, which is purple, is sometimes called the “Prophecy Candle” or the “Prophet’s Candle” symbolizing the prophets of the Old Testament, especially Isaiah, who waited in hope for the Messiah’s arrival.

The second candle, which is a purple candle, represents faith or peace and is called "Bethlehem’s Candle." Prophet Micah had foretold that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem, which is also the birthplace of King David.

The third candle, which is a pink candle, symbolizes joy and is called the "Shepherd’s Candle." To the shepherd’s great joy, the angels announced that Jesus came for humble, unimportant people like them, too. In liturgy, the colour rose signifies joy.

The fourth candle, which is of purple colour, represents love and is called the "Angel’s Candle." The angels announced that Jesus came to bring peace and love – He came to bring people close to God and to each other again.

The (optional) fifth candle, which is white in colour, represents light and purity and is called "Christ’s candle." It is placed in the middle and is lit on Christmas Day.

Thanksgiving 2020

Dear DLL Jesus,

Today is Thanksgiving Day and I am so very thankful to you for all your blessings in our life.

Right from the day of my conception till today, you have been so kind and generous to me. Earlier I didn't know about it but now I am so much aware of all the beautiful blessings that you have been bestowing on us.

Each passing day and year have been filled with your blessings. I am especially thankful for the year 2020 which has been the most challenging yet the most blessed year of our lives. Thank you so much for keeping us under your protection and taking care of all our needs, wants and desires. 

This year has been fruitful both at the family level as well as at my individual personal level. As I keep writing to you, 2020 has been the most productive year of my life. Thank you for highlighting to me all my talents and skills and giving me the opportunity to write in three different magazines.

Thank you for my plants and Minnie and Warli painting and the ability to learn three different languages even though candle making was quite a disaster because of lack of the wicks. Thank you for the good food every day and thank you for creating in me the love for cooking them!

Thank you for the beautiful people in my life!

Thank you for being my DLL...❤️My Daddy Long Legs!❤️

Mount Carmel

Dear DLL Jesus,

The more I learn about the Carmelite Order, the more I fall in love with it. Something happens to me when I see the enriching beauty of Mount Carmel.

Carmel means "garden, the garden of God, garden-land" and I truly love to see the lush green gardens in the monasteries. I yearn to be there in that garden. In my next birth please send me in the beautiful gardens of Mount Carmel because in this birth I cannot spend a monastic life.

Dear DLL Jesus, is there a way I can be a part of monastic life now? Be in the beautiful gardens of Mount Carmel? Live a life of prayer and silence? Get a small cell of my own and not talk to anyone? 

I am writing all this because I saw a video on Carmelite life just now. Few days ago I had seen a video on the Carmelite cloistered nuns of Thicket Priory. All these have a great impact on me. I enter into a different world altogether and keep thinking about the Carmelite monastery and all things related to it.

I want to write more but don't know what to write. So ending right now. Will write more later.

Saint Antony, Abbot

Dear DLL Jesus,

Today I researched on the life of Saint Antony, Abbot who lived as a hermit in the deserts of Egypt.

There also the evil one didn't leave him alone. In fact he was harassed more with constant temptations.

But Saint Antony Abbot resisted him through severe penance, prayers and fasting. He didn't allow the evil one to win over!

The more I learn about the beautiful lives of the saints, the more I want to imitate their lives. No wonder the Roman Catholic church intercede to the saints and there are around 10,000 of them. But I don't want them to intercede for me to you because I want to have a direct contact with you.

But what I want to do is imitate their lives to come closer to you. I want to learn how to grow in close union with you. I want to learn how they prayed and fought temptations to resist the evil one. I want to read about their inspiring lives because before becoming a saint they must have been normal human beings like me.

But still there's a problem here - they were all religious men and women who consecrated themselves to you. Hardly few of them were married.

Still I want to grow in holiness by imitating their lives. Some of them inspire me through their writings and some of them through their prayerful living. There's something to learn from each one of them.

Most Enriching and Creative Lockdown

The first lockdown in India started on 21 March, 2020 when the schools and churches were asked to remain closed. There was a general panic and everyone wondered what to do during the lockdown. Over the weeks, the lockdowns kept extending and the boredom increased. While the teenagers in the family cribbed about this, I started finding out positive aspects of the lockdown. Since then all the phases of the lockdowns have been turning out to be most wonderful and spiritually enriching for me.

 

Except partaking the Lord sacramentally, I have been doing much better than the earlier normal times. I have been praying more, reading more, writing more and even cooking more!

 

I have really been enjoying this lockdown and my home has become my monastery and domestic church. There is Mass in the morning, regular morning and evening prayers and some really quality time with the family members.

 

I had wanted to study the Bible regularly but there were always some distractions. But now I have joined a weekly online Bible study programme. I also study the daily verses through an app.  This lockdown has been the best time to study the Bible extensively.

 

Besides studying the Bible I have picked up hobbies to keep myself creatively busy. From painting to candle making to cutting hubby's hair, to learning foreign languages like Spanish, Italian and Latin, to tracing the history of the Carmelites to compiling a book on all the Carmelite Saints and Blesseds, I have done it all.

 

I also revived my tiny window garden by being a good plant parent and made my kids happy by trying out new recipes even though I have always hated cooking.

 

My life in the lockdown could not have been better. I have been more productive during the lockdown than the normal times. I hope this continues even after unlocking myself – I hope to live this “new normal” life as the church also opens on 28^th November – the first Sunday (Saturday evening) of the Advent season!

 

St. Raphael Kalinowski

(1 September, 1835 – 15 November, 1907)

Feast: 19 November

Canonized: 17 November, 1991

“God refuses only the person who does not admit his own weakness; He sends away only the unhappy proud person. You must "hold him" well and strongly, with a poor spirit, with a poor heart, with a life entirely poor.”

Today is the memoria of St. Raphael of St. Joseph Kalinowski. 

He was a Polish Discalced Carmelite friar. He was born Józef Kalinowski to Polish parents Andrew and Josepha Kalinowski in the city of Vilnius in present day Lithuania.

He did his studies at the Academy of Military Engineering and became a Lieutenant in the Russian Military Engineering Corps in 1857. A Polish engineer and freedom fighter, he was exiled to Siberia, and became the restorer of Carmel in Poland. St. Raphael was ordained as priest at Czerna on 15 January, 1882 where he served as Prior.

He served the Discalced Carmelite Order for thirty years, working to unite the Eastern Christians during a time of tension and distrust. He was a devout leader among his Carmelite brothers, and his passion for reconciliation drew him to his flock's confessional for hours on end. As a champion of Christian unification, St. Raphael built his life on St. Teresa's words: “God alone suffices”.

He founded monasteries in Premislia (1884) and Leopoli (1888). In 1899, St. Raphael was named Visitator and Vicar Provincial of these monasteries.

In his seventy-two years of life, St. Raphael was a teacher, engineer, prisoner of war, royal tutor, and a Discalced Carmelite friar and priest. He completed his 'Memoirs 1805-1887' at the request of his superiors, detailing his life as a Discalced Carmelite and ecumenical Christian leader. His other books are Central European Olympiad, A: The Mathematical Duel.

In 1864, St. Raphael was arrested by the Russian authorities and sentenced to death. He was imprisoned in a former Dominican monastery. By his death in 1907, St. Raphael was regarded as a great saint throughout Poland and Lithuania.

Pope John Paul II declared his boyhood hero a saint in St. Peter's Basilica which is also St. Raphael’s place of burial.

What caught my attention about this Carmelite Saint is that he read only two books - the Gospels in the morning and the Carmelite Rules in the evening! I also want to do this!

All Carmelite Saints

Today we celebrate the Feast of all Carmelite Saints. While researching on the Carmelite saints, I came to know about so many saints about whom I had never heard.

Sadly for me it has always been St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and St. John of the Cross. But I was surprised to read about so many other saints and blesseds who led an equally beautiful life. There are so many saints about whom we have never been told and taught and asked to read. It's always the same few popular ones that we keep reading and writing and learning about.

Yes, they are important but it doesn't mean we neglect the others. It's sad to note that so many of them have almost been forgotten.

For example, Blessed Baptist Spagnoli of Mantua. Even though he's a Blessed, he led quite an exemplary life. He wrote eclogues which have been used in European schools for centuries. He is the only Carmelite quoted in the works of William Shakespeare - Love's Labour Lost - (Act IV, scene 2, line 95 FF).

Then Blessed Mary of the Incarnation. She joined the Order after she was widowed at the age of 47. She was the foundress of the nuns of Discalced Carmelite Order in France, who later became a lay sister of the Order. She has been called the Mother of Carmel in France.

Then Saints Louis Martin and Marie Azelia (Zelie) Guerin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux. Their lives are so beautiful and inspiring!

Then of course St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart! In fact she's known only as the forgotten Saint of Carmel. Her life inspires me because when she died, her body didn't decompose and a sweet perfume was noticed coming from the underground burial place! 

How beautiful!

So I got inspired by some of these lesser known figures in the Carmelite fraternity. So what if they have not written anything great and some of them are still blesseds! Their lives inspire me especially the married ones!

It's not only the virgins who loved Jesus so much! We married women also can love Jesus with equal fervour. Our hearts and souls are also united in Jesus' love. We too give priority to Him in all the aspects of our life. We too have left our father and mother and brothers to embrace His love. 

All are called to be saints and so are we!

My Conception Day

Dear DLL Jesus,

Today is my conception day!

The day you "set me apart before I was born, and called me by your grace". (Galatians 1:15)

Thank you so much, Lord! 

As per Psalm 139:13-16, "you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them."

I am so grateful to you for keeping me alive and then calling me to be your own. For rescuing this lost sheep and rejoicing over it and carrying it on your shoulder.

I am indebted to you for shining your bright light in my dark life. So today I will light diyas and celebrate my conception day with you! I will celebrate the festival of lights because you have lighted up my life with your love and mercy and grace!

And I love you so very much!

💕 💕

Feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran

Today is the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran.

The anniversary has been celebrated as a feast of the Latin Church on this date since the twelfth century.

The feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of St. John Lateran is celebrated by the entire Church. It marks the dedication of the cathedral church of Rome by Pope Sylvester I in 324.

The Basilica of St. John Lateran is the oldest and highest ranking of the four major basilicas in Rome.

It is the cathedral of the diocese of Rome, the official ecclesiastical seat of the Holy Father, the Bishop of Rome.

Also called the Church of Holy Saviour or the Church of St. John Baptist,  it is called St. John Lateran because it was built on property donated to the Church by the Laterani family, and because the monks from the monastery of St. John the Baptist and St. John the Divine served it.

The dedication of this basilica is a happy occasion for the Church because it reminds us of our beginnings, our unity. It stands as a monument to God and all that God does through the Church.

One of the most marvelous and imposing churches in Rome, it has five large statues of Christ, John the Baptist, John the Evangelist and twelve Doctors of the Church, and holds beneath the high altar what is left of the wooden table which St. Peter himself used as an altar to celebrated the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Transformed in Christ!

Yes Lord, I have been transformed in you!

This transformation is evident even in my writings! From writing "Sporting Encounters" in the TIMES OF INDIA newspaper to writing the SAINTS column in the HERALD WEEKLY, I have come a long way!

This above writing is from the November issue of JC4ME children's E-Mag!

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity

(18 July, 1880 – 9 November, 1906)

Canonized: 16 October, 2016

Feast Day: 8 November

“It is the whole Trinity who dwells in the soul who truly loves him, that is, keeping his word!”

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was a French Carmelite nun and writer. She was born on a Sunday into a military family and baptized Marie Rolland Josephine Elizabeth Catez on July 22, the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a fact which she treasured. Her name was Elizabeth Catez, and her family's fond nickname for her was not Lizzie or Beth, but Sabeth. Her father died when she was only seven. Elizabeth and her sister Marguerite were raised by her mother. When she was 21, Elizabeth entered a Carmelite monastery, over her mother’s objections.

Despite the objections, on 2nd August 1901, the postulant entered the Dijon Carmel and was given the name of Elizabeth of the Trinity. Mother Germaine was her prioress.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity had true depth of prayer, was a mystic, a great lover of Jesus, and a real friend to her sisters in Carmel and her family. She spent six years as a Carmelite nun, but like St. Thérèse of Lisieux she advanced in holiness in a very short time.

Though a hot-tempered child, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity possessed a deep love for God in her youth. She prayed often and wanted to give herself completely to God. “It is the whole Trinity who dwells in the soul who truly loves him, that is, keeping his word!” she wrote in the Last retreat 27-28.

Her prayer "O my God, Trinity whom I adore" the prayer to the Holy Trinity has been translated into thirty-four languages. Though noted for great spiritual growth, she was also plagued with periods of powerful darkness. But she has been given such titles as "the prophet of the presence of God" and "the saint of the divine indwelling".

Though St. Elizabeth of the Trinity died at the age of 26 she has become a great mystic of our times. She is the patroness against illness and of those who are sick. She believed that “TO LOVE, and to be loved, is the deepest of all human needs; it alone gives meaning and a sense of fulfilment.”

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity confided her purity to Saint Joseph in a very special way.

She was canonized on 16 October, 2016 by Pope Francis. The Church celebrates her feast day on 8 November.

 

Blessed Francis Palau y Quer

(29 December, 1811 - 20 March, 1872)

Beatified: 24 April, 1988

Optional Memoria: 7 November

“God allows your defects to humble you. Try to correct them, counting on the assistance of grace.” 

Blessed Francis Palau y Quer is a beatified Discalced Carmelite Spanish priest. Born in Aytona, Lerida, Spain, he entered the Order in 1832 and was ordained priest in Barbastro (province of Huesca, Spain) in 1836. But because of the civil turmoil he was forced to live in exile and outside his community.

Though he grew up in the chaos of the Peninsular War in Spain, by age 14, Francis was certain of his vocation to the priesthood. Like all the other great figures of Carmelite history, Francisco Palau was captivated by St. Teresa of Avila through her writings. He had felt called to the priesthood from childhood, but in 1828, at the age of twenty, he enrolled himself in the diocesan seminary.

A Catalan Discalced Carmelite mystic, friar and priest, he wrote the book THE STRUGGLE OF THE SOUL WITH GOD.  He founded The School of the Virtue — which was a model of catechetical teaching for adult persons—at Barcelona. Around 1860-1861, he also founded the Carmelite Missionaries – an international religious congregation for women.

He was beatified by 24 April, 1988 by Pope John Paul II.

Speculaas – Dutch Windmill Cookies

Speculaas or speculoos cookies are a staple of the Christmas season in the Netherlands, Belgium and parts of Germany. Also known as the Dutch Windmill Cookies, these crispy and spiced cookies are traditionally stamped or moulded before baking to imprint an image into them, like the classic windmill.

Ingredients

250 grams plain flour

1 tsp baking powder

150 grams brown sugar

½ tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp each ground nutmeg, ginger and cardamom

½ tsp ground cloves

150 grams cold unsalted butter

Rice flour (optional), to dust

Instructions

Process flour, baking powder, sugar, spices, ¼ tsp salt and butter in a food processor until mixture forms fine breadcrumbs. Add 1 tbsp iced water and process until mixture just comes together. Turn out onto a work surface, form into a ball, cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes to firm.

Preheat the oven to 170°C. Line an oven tray with baking paper. Roll dough into golf ball-size balls and press into a 6 cm-round mould dusted with rice flour. Trim excess dough, then turn out onto the lined tray and repeat with remaining dough, dusting the mould between each batch. Refrigerate for 20 minutes to help the biscuits keep their shape. Bake for 20 minutes or until golden brown. Cool on a wire rack. You can store the cookies in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Blessed Frances d'Amboise

(9 May, 1427 – 4 November, 1485)

Beatified: 16 July, 1863

Optional Memoria: 5 November

“Lay everything at the foot of His cross, and rest there in peace.”

Blessed Frances D’Amboise was born, probably at Thouars, France. At fifteen years of age, she was married to Peter II, Duke of Brittany and crowned with him in the cathedral at Rennes in 1450. She was widowed in 1457 and, not wanting a second marriage, she turned towards religious life. For this purpose, she built a Carmel for sisters at Bondon in 1463 following the advice of Blessed John Soreth, Prior General of the Carmelites.

However, she herself only entered the monastery in 1468. In 1477 she transferred to the monastery at Nantes, another of her foundations. To her is due the introduction of frequent communion (daily for those who were sick) and the fourth vow of strict enclosure.

During her last moments her testament was the phrase which she had said most often during her life: “In everything, do that which will make God loved the more!”

She was beatified by Pope Pius IX in 1866.

Blessed Josepha Naval Girbes

(11 December, 1820 – 24 February, 1893)

Beatified: 25 September, 1988

Optional Memory: 6 November

“Sanctify yourself and sanctify others.”

Blessed Josefa Naval Girbés was a Spanish Secular Carmelite. She has been recognized across Spain for her commitment to Church life and in the field of education. She became well known for her personal holiness and the conduct in which she led her life.

Blessed Josepha Naval Girbes was born at Algemesi in the Archdiocese of Valencia, Spain. When she was a young woman, she took a vow of chastity. A member of the Third Order Secular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Saint Teresa of Jesus, she had great devotion for the Virgin Mary. She always wore her scapular and her rosary.

Her mother died on 19 June, 1833 at the age of 35, and Josefa was forced to leave school in order to look after her siblings. She was the eldest of five children raised in a devout family.

Blessed Josefa lived a perfectly simple life, opening her home as a school for embroidery. She used the quiet hours of labour to instruct her young female students about the Catholic faith. She was well known for instructing her girls that their primary mission in life should be to “sanctify yourself and sanctify others.”

She worked with cholera patients towards the end of her life and this led to her death in 1893 combined with her heart condition that hastened her death. She began to feel chronic pains in 1891 due to a heart condition and was in great pain as a result of it. She died in 1893 after a long illness related to that heart ailment. Her last request was granted: to be buried in the brown tunic and white mantle of the Carmelite habit. 

Greek Melomakarona Cookie

A melomakarona is a traditional Greek Christmas cookie. Also known as Christmas honey cookies or Cypriot melomakarona cookies, these sweet and delicious cookies are one of the favourite traditional Christmas sweets in Cyprus.
Here’s the recipe for about 20 cookies:

Ingredients 
½ cup sunflower oil
50 grams (¼ cup) sugar
225 grams (1 cup) flour
A pinch of salt
¼ teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground cloves
Juice and grated rind of ½ orange
¼ teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons brandy
1 ½ cups walnuts + extra for decorating
For the syrup:
100 grams (½ cup) sugar
1 cup honey
1 cup water

Directions to make:
Preheat the oven to 165°C / 325°F. Whisk the sunflower oil with the sugar. In a bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder and cinnamon well. After finely chopping the walnuts, mix the orange juice and rind with the baking soda and the brandy. The mixture will start foaming. Mix in the nuts. Whisk in the oil mixture and add the walnuts to make soft dough. Form little egg shaped balls of about 25 grams (about the size of a walnut) and place on a cookie sheet covered with baking paper. Bake in the middle of the oven for 15-20 minutes until light brown and done.

Make the syrup
Meanwhile make the syrup. Bring all the ingredients for the syrup to the boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved. Leave to boil gently for about 10 minutes.

Dip and decorate
Take the cookies from the oven and dip them in the syrup for about 5 minutes. Turn them halfway. Take from the syrup and leave to drip on a rack. Decorate with the remaining chopped walnuts.

Birthday

It was my birthday on 11 July!

Right from my childhood, my birthday has been the most exciting day of my life - come July, and I circle the 11th day on the calendar and begin the countdown! I sing and dance and make everyone sing and dance!

As my dad used to make me list down the gifts I was looking forward to, I too list down the gifts I want! This has been happening from many years now!

But suddenly something had changed! I guess since 2010 - since the year I started getting carried away by the social media. There was a pressure to look good in the photos! So I started my birthday shopping months in advance and took a lot of pain to make everything and everyone look prim and proper! I went to the beauty parlour to get the right look for the photos!

But this year there wasn't any birthday shopping and no beautifying myself at the parlour! There was a kind of transformation in my life - just like the good old days -  I realized that I could celebrate my birthday without shopping in advance and spending hours at the salon to beautify myself! 

Yes, photos still matter to me for memory sake but not to be uploaded on Facebook! I could survive without posting on Facebook and still be happy!

Also, without receiving birthday wishes on Facebook since I had hidden the birthday notification! But still many of them wished me. 

So starting from this year I have decided to celebrate my conception day also. So on 11 November I will be celebrating my conception day!

❤️❤️

Christmas Traditions

Dear DLL Jesus,

From yesterday I have not been writing/researching on my book!

And I am feeling absolutely lost!

This is what happens to me when I don't have a fixed schedule for myself!

So from today I have decided to write about Christmas traditions and cookies and other Christmas related things. This will keep me busy and happy!

❤️❤️

All Saints Day

Today is All Saints Day. This day is also known as All Hallows' Day, Hallowmas, the Feast of All Saints, or Solemnity of All Saints. It is a day to commemorate all the saints of the church, both known and unknown, who have attained heaven.

While many saints have a specific feast day on which we celebrate their lives and work, the vast majority of the saints of heaven do not. Thus All Saints Day is particularly for those who have no special feast days of their own.

All Saints’ Day was not always a solemnity observed by the universal church, and is not celebrated everywhere on 1 November. The feast originated in the earliest centuries of the church, when Christians commemorated the many martyrs who died at the hands of their Roman persecutors.

As there were so many martyrs, they could not each have their own feast day; but they were seen as such important witnesses that the Christians did not want to leave any of them out.

As a result, a single commemoration for “all the martyrs” was observed each spring, which celebrated those who did not have their own unique feast.

Pope Gregory III consecrated a chapel at St. Peter’s Basilica to all the saints, as well, with an anniversary date of 1 November. Rome adopted 1 November as the date of the feast of All Saints in the eighth century, and in the ninth century Pope Gregory IV extended that observance to the whole of the Latin Church.

The celebration of this day expresses gratitude for their unique contributions and sacrifices, and acknowledges their continued spiritual presence in the lives of people today.