Our gaze turns to the many souls who have proceeded us, marked with the sign of faith. They are our brothers and sisters, members of the one big family of God that embraces all time and space. The guide and center of this family is Jesus Christ. In this family, some names stand out and are well known to all. They are the great saints, witnesses to the power of grace and to the faith that conquers all. . . .The solemnity of All Saints is in the deepest sense, a celebration of our hope. Christians are people who affirm the reality of God and count on it. This is what it means to believe. Likewise, it can be affirmed with good reason that Christians are people who accept God’s promises, build on them, and rely on them. In other words, they hope. Hope is the other side of the coin of faith.

-Pope Benedict XVI