And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light shall the nations walk; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory into it, and its gates shall never be shut by day—and there shall be no night there; they shall bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations.
Revelation 21:22–26 (RSV)
Our earthly altars are a reflection of the glory of the worship where God dwells in uncreated light. We need not be discouraged by this, for our worship is a 'foretaste of the feast to come.' They are the praises we can offer while waiting to join the chorus of angels, archangels, cherubim, and seraphim. They blend their voices with those of the saints of all the ages in eternal praise of our God.
All Saints Day is a bittersweet day for us as our worship recalls those who have fallen asleep in the Lord. Our hearts are glad that they are in the heavenly chorus. Our hearts are touched by sorrow, for they are separated from us.
The separation is because our earthly senses cannot perceive what Scripture describes touching the holy place where our praises are sung. Though our ears cannot hear, nor eyes see, each altar intersects with the worship before the Father. The angelic hosts and saints blend with our praises in a harmony that blesses the Father upon His throne.
Among the voices that lie just beyond our hearing are the voices of those who we love. Though they have died in this life, the new life in the Kingdom is theirs where they are more alive than we could ever be here. They sing with us as we praise the Father. They gather at the Table as we receive the Supper. As we anticipate the great banquet where they already feast, All Saints Day is a reminder that in Christ, we have lost no one, for death no longer holds them.