All Saints Day as a family feast

SettimanaNews reports that the traditional practice of using saints as specific intermediaries for particular problems, such as ailments or professions, is declining. While saints were once viewed as figures to soften the distance between people and a remote God, modern practice shows a shift toward praying directly to the Lord.

The report states that saints and Mary are now understood as brothers and sisters who demonstrate how to follow Christ and invite believers to pray to God. Holiness is described as a divine and beneficial force within a person that allows them to distance themselves from imperfection and weakness. Although only Christ possesses this goodness in full, the Church teaches that believers can participate in his holiness as they strive toward the perfection indicated in the Gospel of Matthew.