Today is the Feast of All Saints, on which we celebrate all the saints, known and unknown, popular and obscure, of every culture and nation and clime. It is the celebration of the communion of saints insofar as it constitutes the Church Triumphant. So how to observe it in a post? I think the following revival hymn might go some way toward doing it:
We are traveling in the footsteps
Of those who’ve gone before
But we’ll all be reunited
On a new and sunlit shore
Oh when the saints go marching in
When the saints go marching in
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
And when the sun refuse to shine
And when the sun refuse to shine
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
When the moon turns red with blood
When the moon turns red with blood
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
On that hallelujah day
On that hallelujah day
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh when the trumpet sounds the call
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Some say this world of trouble
Is the only one we need
But I’m waiting for that morning
When the new world is revealed
When the revelation comes
When the revelation comes
Oh Lord I want to be in that number
When the saints go marching in
Of course, the hymn is one with a thousand different versions, because it's so easy to improvise. Choose your own. But really to celebrate you need to see and hear it with Louis Armstrong, here and here.
