A Practice for the Feasts of All Saints & All Souls

Gratitude & thanksgiving for those who have come before us

Dear bookish friends,

With the book launch, I have been a little scattered & brain dead on here (so, so many fun things! But also, this introvert is feeling a little wiped out!). But I did have something I want to share with you for the feasts this week.

The feasts of All Souls and All Saints commemorate those who have come before us in the Body of Christ. We are distant from them in time and place, but in the long run, those things will eventually cease to be, and we will witness how we are connected to them more deeply than we imagine. We pray for them, we give thanks for them, we rejoice in the beauty they have shown us.

The Forerunners of Christ with Saints and Martyrs, by Fra Angelico, 1423-1424.

I’ve been thinking for a while about compiling a list of the dead who came before me who have shaped me and for whom I am giving thanks, even those slightly off the beaten path. My list below is eclectic, but I wished to honor them by sharing them with you. I was wondering if you would like to join me? Share some of your people, if you want, in the comments.