Día de los Muertos is a spectacular Mexican festival held over the first two days in November. Known in English as ‘Day of the dead’, it originated thousands of years ago with the ancient Aztec and Toltec peoples who felt mourning the was dead disrespectful. They believed departed loved ones were still a part of the community, alive in memory and spirit, and that death should be embraced. So began this vibrant and lively annual celebration to honour departed loved ones.
Skeletons and skulls are iconic symbols of this festival, revealing humanity’s equality in death—beneath everyone’s unique appearances and personalities exists the same frame. Skull confectionery is a notable treat. People paint their faces as skulls and dress up and parade as skeletons, sometimes also as Monarch butterflies (which migrate through Mexico and arrive around the same time as the festival and are celebrated as a symbol of life and death). Some provinces decorate their streets with sawdust rugs, made by locals over days of painstakingly arranging coloured sawdust, flower petals, rice, pine needles, and other organic materials in elaborate, carpet-like patterns. Others decorate their streets in Papel picado (coloured tissue paper stacked in layers which are then given a perforated pattern with hammer and chisel) symbolic of the fragility of life as they flutter in the wind.
It is believed that during this festival the dead temporarily return to earth, so altars are built in homes and cemeteries in the hope of welcoming the spirits of departed ones back to the realm of the living. The altars are loaded with offerings—water to quench thirst after the long journey, food, family photos, and a candle for each deceased relative. If one of the deceased is a child, small toys are often placed too. Marigolds decorate the altars and graves. From ancient times these blooms were believed to be a gift from the sun god “so that they might honour their dead.” The golden petals are scattered from altar to gravesite in the belief that they guide wandering souls back to their place of rest. Cemeteries are cleaned and decorated with bursting colour. Many then wait with a candlelight vigil through the night.
There is another great celebration in early November, that goes all the way back to at least the third century. It is the Festival of All Saints’ Day. Originally this day commemorated God’s people who were martyred for their Christian faith, such as Jesus speaks of in today’s Gospel reading:
“Blessed are you when people hate you,
when they exclude you and insult you
and reject your name as evil,
because of the Son of Man.
“Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.”
These words are challenging to hear. But Jesus isn’t saying that being hated, excluded or rejected are in themselves blessings. He is saying that these are the reactions of the worldly to those who have already been blessed with faith through the Holy Spirit.
The Christian faith comes at a cost, and for some the faith ultimately costs them their life, for no other reason that they believe in Jesus. Many Christians today—especially in African provinces—are brutally treated for their faith, and in other places like Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan and China, one just can’t profess Christian faith publicly without risk to personal safety. In western society this persecution doesn’t cost us our lives but perhaps our friends, opportunities, and even our job, and we can be quickly silenced for offering our views. Jesus says this has been the case for God’s people from of old—since the times of the prophets, who were also persecuted for speaking God’s truth. Some people are so opposed to hearing God’s word that they will go to any lengths to silence it. So originally All Saints’ Day was an occasion to remember the example of those martyred, of how they were faithful in running the race, fixing their eyes on Jesus, and confessing Christ to the end, and for whom the crown of righteousness was kept in store (Hebrews 12:1-2; 2 Timothy 4:7-8).
It seems unusual that Jesus would connect the theme of celebrating with his people being abused and even murdered for confessing their allegiance to him: “Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their ancestors treated the prophets.” But Jesus says this by way of giving hope and encouragement—such treatment is not a sign that God has abandoned his favour to his people, but the very sign that they are God’s favoured people—his blessed people. They have been blessed by the Holy Spirit to believe in Christ and confess his name, and by standing fast to the end they will have all that they have hoped for.
None of us could ever work towards achieving holiness. That is why it is such good news that we are not saints by what but we do, but by the One in whom we put our trust. Paul says that when you believed the message of truth you were marked in Christ with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit. God didn’t put his seal of the Spirit on us because we believed. Paul says in verse 17 that the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of wisdom and revelation. God has given us his Holy Spirit to work faith in us. As the Spirit of revelation does this through the message of truth, he calls us to Jesus who shares his holiness with us. All Christians, although sinful, are at the same time true saints through faith, together with all those from of old. That’s why in modern times All Saints’ Day commemorates not only all the martyrs of the early church but all the people of God, living and dead, who form the one holy communion of saints.
On this day, as two major festivals are celebrated, there is a big difference between them. Día de los Muertos is a fascinating, spectacular, and extravagant festival of respecting, honouring, and celebrating the dead. Participants hope that the spirits of loved ones return to earth during this time. A National Geographic article written about this festival is titled: ‘The comfort and joy of the Day of the dead’.
But All Saints offers so much more comfort and joy. For those in Christ, it is a celebration of the living—of all those whom God has chosen and included in Christ and sealed with the Holy Spirit to have life forever, body and soul, with the exalted Christ in heavenly glory! All Saints’ Day is a celebration of Christ reconciling us to God by taking away the sin of the world and making us holy by his own holy and precious blood. It is a victory celebration that, because Christ lives, we who believe in him shall also live. It is a victory celebration that by his own death Christ has made a mockery of death for his people who share in his resurrection as our very own. Paul says that God raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms far above all rule, authority and power. This incomparably great power is for all who believe—given to us in baptism where we are united to Christ and his own death and resurrection.
Colin, as you and your family remember your dear Vy, and Stephen as you remember your much-loved father Max, may you be comforted with God’s promise that you not only hold memories of your loved ones in Christ, but Christ holds your loved ones, body and soul, so that when we see them again at the last trumpet, we will all be changed—in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, (1 Corinthians 15:51b-52). And members and friends of St Paul’s, may this be your hope and comfort also for those in Christ you remember, and the same hope for ourselves—we who have been sealed by the Spirit.
In the Middle Ages wax seals were commonly used by monarchs to issue official decrees and execute the action they had authorised. In today’s text Paul tells us that we are sealed with the Holy Spirit—the divine decree that:
- we are included in Christ,
- we have divine approval,
- we belong to our Heavenly King as his very own possession, and
- our Father in Heaven must give us our inheritance in heaven as he has promised.
All of this is not based on how well we have or haven’t performed, but simply because of God’s divine favour and grace, just as it was to the saints of old. Because of Christ, heaven is open to all who trust in him, with the fulness of God’s divine favour. God guarantees it—and if there is any doubt, we participate in this new reality at the altar. It is not we who prepare an altar of food but Christ prepares the altar for us with his own body and blood. As Jesus serves his holy meal, he welcomes you as his distinguished guest. We gather around the throne of Lamb here on earth as do the saints who have gone before us in heaven, so that our communion with the Holy One is not just in this congregation, but with the saints of all times and places. His holy meal of his own precious body and blood given and shed for you is the meal by which God remembers you in the fullness of his loving action, faithfully doing everything he has promised you, by serving you forgiveness, life and salvation.
That is why today, as we remember our brothers and sisters of the Christian faith who have gone before us—those persecuted for their faith and who died for it, as well as our loved ones for who we grieve—we can nonetheless know the comfort and joy that nothing else can give. Despite all that we or our loved ones have gone through—or still go through—even the most wretched illness, suffering, trouble, and even death—every single hair on the heads of the faithful has been redeemed. It’s because of Christ we can have the same certainty as the Apostle Paul who said: “I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:38-39).
Because Christ has been raised from the dead and seated at the right hand of the Father in Heaven, with all authority and power in heaven and on earth given to him, no one can snatch his faithful people from his hand. No power, not even the Devil and all the hordes of hell can prevail over the Communion of Saints, for we are in Christ, who is far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. For God has placed all things under the feet of Christ and appointed him to be head over everything for the church—forever and ever. Amen.
Pastor Tim Ebbs
St Paul’s Lutheran Church, Glenelg
The Commemoration of All Saints, 2025
Endnote: The subject matter on the ‘Day of the dead’ festival was researched from various articles as referenced below and should be attributed to the following authors:
Beard, David (2021) ‘The comfort and joy of the Day of the dead’. National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=History_20211101::rid=9B7C6B771F972876F0C626CB81848443 Last accessed 1/11/2025 at 9:06pm
Ward, Logan (2025) ‘Top ten things to know about the Day of the dead’. National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/top-ten-day-of-dead-mexico?cmpid=org=ngp::mc=crm-email::src=ngp::cmp=editorial::add=History_20211101::rid=9B7C6B771F972876F0C626CB81848443 Last accessed on 1/11/2025 at 9:08pm
McKeever, Amy (2022) ‘How the soulful marigold became an icon, from Mexico to India’. National Geographic https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-the-marigold-became-a-global-icon-from-mexico-to-india Last accessed on 1/11/25 at 9:12pm
