Allhallowtide
Sermon: The Rev. Dr. Maryann Amor
Today we are in the middle of Allhallowtide, a word that comes from Old English: all meaning every, hallow meaning holy, and tide meaning season. So, Allhallowtide is the season of all that is holy.
As winter sets in, the days grow darker, and nature settles into its winter sleep. As the seasons change around us, the Christian calendar shifts its focus from the life and joy of Easter, from the fire of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost, towards a season in which we reflect on death, loss, and the lives of those who have gone before us.
Yesterday was All Hallows' Eve, when historically Christians would spend the evening fasting and praying in preparation for All Hallows' Day, also known as All Saints' Day or Hallowmas, which we celebrate today. Today we remember the saints: those men and women whose lives were marked by faith, some of whom shaped the Church in amazing ways, and whose witness continues to inspire us.
Tomorrow is All Souls' Day, traditionally devoted to remembering the faithful departed, including those unknown to the wider Church, especially our own family members and friends.
And so, in the middle of Allhallowtide, we are invited to think about death, to remember those who have gone before us, and to give thanks for the lives of the saints and our loved ones who have passed from this world to the next.
Now, given this focus, we might describe the tone of this season as sombre, even depressing. We know the pain of losing people we love, and that grief does not simply disappear with time. So, a season shaped by winter darkness and death might seem, on the surface, to be completely void of hope.
But when we look at the traditions surrounding Allhallowtide, we discover that there is something more going on.
In parts of Britain and Ireland, there was a tradition called souling. People, including children, would go from house to house, singing songs and receiving little baked cakes called soul cakes. In return, they would promise to pray for the souls of the departed. It was a way of connecting the living and the dead through food, song, remembrance, and prayer.
And we are keeping a little bit of that tradition alive today. Our children are baking soul cakes now, and at the end of this service we will hear the soul cake song and share some of their baking as we remember our dead.
We will also have an opportunity to write the names of our departed loved ones on the poster that is on the table at the front of the church. Later in the service, we will pray for those we have named.
These kinds of traditions make it clear that grief and the pain of loss are not something to hide or fear. They show us the value of our loved ones. They remind us that even if we cannot see them anymore, we can still remember them, love them, and keep their memories alive in our hearts.
And this truth echoes through our readings today. In the Wisdom of Solomon, we hear that the souls of the righteous are in the hands of God, held in God's care and freed from suffering. In First Peter, we hear of the hope made possible through the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And in our Gospel reading, we hear again of eternal life and resurrection.
Notice how our readings do not tell us that death is the end of a person's existence. Instead, they point us towards a hope bigger than death itself. The hope of our faith is that, even when we encounter death, death does not have the final word. We trust in the promise of eternal life and resurrection.
And this matters when we think about the people we have lost. We miss them. We remember their voices, their laughter, and the little things that made them who they were. We remember how they loved us, and maybe the things we wish we had said or done differently.
And as we do this, we remember that the God who raised Jesus from the dead holds out a promise of resurrection that reaches beyond the grave. We may not be able to see those we love anymore, but we entrust them to the care of our loving God, knowing that their lives are not simply erased or forgotten.
Allhallowtide, then, is not merely a season of darkness and the cold of winter, but it is also a season in which we look honestly at death while holding onto the hope of resurrection. So, as we mark this season today, let us not be afraid to remember or to grieve. Let us give thanks for those we have loved, bring their names before God, and hold on to the hope that death never has the final word. Amen.
And now, we are going to put some of this remembrance into practice.
There is a poster and some pens on the table at the front of the church. I invite you to come up while some music plays and write the names of your departed loved ones on the poster. Later in our prayers, we will pray for those we have named, entrusting them once again to the loving care of God.
After the service, we will also share the soul cakes baked by our Sunday School children, and I will play the traditional soul cake song that accompanied the practice of souling.
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