The Communion of All Saints

Lord, have mercy on us. Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us. God, the father of heaven, God the son, redeemer of the world, God the Holy Ghost, Holy Trinity, one God, Holy Mary, Holy Mother of God, Holy virgin of virgins, St. Michael, St. Gabriel, St. Raphael, All ye Holy Angels and Archangels, All ye Holy Orders of Blessed spirits, St. John the Baptist, St. Joseph, All ye Holy Patriarchs and Prophets, St. Peter, St. Paul, St. Andrew, St. James, St. John, St. Thomas, St. James, St. Philip, St. Bartholomew, St. Matthew, . St. Simon, pray for us. St. Thaddeus, pray for us. St. Barnabas, pray for us. St. Luke, pray for us. St. Mark, pray for us. All ye Holy Apostles and Evangelist, All ye Holy Disciples of Our Lord, All ye Holy Innocents, . St. Stephen, St. Lawrence, . St. Vincent, Ss. Fabian and Sebastian, Ss. John and Paul, Ss. Cosmos and Damian, Ss. Gervase and Protase, All ye Holy Martyrs, St. Sylvester, St. Gregory, St. Ambrose, St. Augustine, St. Jerome, St. Martin, St. Nicholas, All ye Holy Bishops and Confessors, All ye Holy Doctors, St. Anthony, St. Benedict, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Francis, All ye Holy Priest and Levites, All ye Holy Monks and Hermits, . St. Mary Magdalen, St. Agatha, St. Lucy, St. Agnes, St. Cecilia, St. Catherine, St. Anastasia, All ye Holy Virgins and Widows, All ye Men and Women, Saints of God, Be merciful, Be merciful, From all evil, From all sin, From thy wrath, From a sudden and unprovided death, From the deceits of the devil, From anger, hatred, and all ill will, From the spirit of fornication, From lightning and tempest, From the scourge of earthquake, From pestilence, famine, and war, From everlasting death, Through the mystery of thy holy incarnation, Through thy coming, Through thy nativity, Through thy baptism and holy fasting, Through thy cross and passion, Through thy death and burial, Through thy holy resurrection, Through thine admirable ascension, Through the coming of the holy ghost, the paraclete, In the day of judgment, That thou wouldst spare us, That thou wouldst pardon us, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring us to true penance, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to govern and preserve thy holy church.... That thou wouldst vouchsafe to preserve our apostolic prelate and all ecclesiastical orders in holy religion. That thou wouldst vouchsafe to humble the enemies of thy holy church, That thou wouldst vouch safe to give peace and true concord to Christian kings and princes, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to grant peace and unity to all Christian people, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring back to the unity of the church all those who have strayed away, and lead to the light of the gospel all unbelievers, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to confirm and preserve us thy holy service, That thou wouldst lift up our minds to heavenly desires, That thou wouldst render eternal blessings to all our benefactors, That thou wouldst deliver our souls and hose of our brethren, relative, and benefactors from eternal damnation, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to give and preserve the fruits of the earth, That thou wouldst vouchsafe to give eternal rest to all the faithful departed, That thou wouldst vouchsafe graciously to hear us, Son of God, . Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, o lord Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us....... Lord, have mercy on us....... Lord, have mercy on us.......	Christ, have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us. Have mercy on us pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. pray for us. intercede for us. Spare us, O Lord! Graciously hear us, O Lord! O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us. O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us O Lord, deliver us We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. We beseech thee, hear us. Spare us, O Lord. Graciously hear us, O Lord. Have mercy on us. Christ, graciously hear us.... Christ, have mercy on us.......
Our Father (ect.) ..... V- And Lead Us Not Into Temptation. R- But Deliver Us From Evil. Psalm LXIX Incline unto my aid, O God. O Lord, make haste to help me. Let them be confounded and ashamed that seek my soul. Let them be turned backward and blush for shame that desire evils to me. Let them be presently turned away blushing for shame that say to me, "Tis well, 'tis well." Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee; and let such as love Thy salvation say always, The Lord be magnified. But I am needy and poor: O God, help me. Thou art my helper and my deliverer; O Lord, make no delay. Glory Be To The Father, (etc)........ V- Save Thy servants. R- Trusting in Thee, O my God. V- Be unto us, O Lord, a tower a strength. R- From the face of the enemy. V- Let not the enemy prevail against us. R- Nor the son of iniquity have power to hurt us. V- O Lord, do not deal with us according to our sins. R- Neither reward us according to our iniquities. V- Let us pray for our chief bishop: (name) R- The Lord preserve him, and give him life, and make him blessed upon the earth, and deliver him not up to the will of his enemies. V- Let us pray for our benefactors. R- Vouchsafe, O Lord, for Thy name's sake, to reward with eternal life all those who do us good. V- Let us pray for the faithful departed. R- Eternal rest give unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. V- May they rest in peace. R- Amen. V- For our absent brethren. R- Save Thy servants who hope in Thee, O my God. V- Send them help, O Lord, from Thy holy place. R- And from Sion protect them. V- O Lord, hear my prayer. R- And let my cry come unto Thee.
Let us pray- O God, Whose property is always to have mercy and to spare, receive our petition, that we and all Thy servants who are bound by the chain of sin, may, by the compassion of Thy goodness, mercifully be absolved. Hear, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the prayers of Thy supplicants, and pardon the sins of those who confess to Thee, that, in Thy bounty, Thou mayest grant us both pardon and peace. In Thy clemency, O Lord, show Thy unspeakable mercy to us, that so Thou mayest both loose us from all our sins and deliver us from the punishments which we deserve for them. O God, who by sin art offended and by penance pacified, mercifully regard the prayers of Thy people, who make supplication to Thee, and turn away the scourges of Thine anger, which we deserve for our sins. O almighty and eternal God, have mercy on Thy servant (Name), our chief bishop, and direct him according to Thy clemency, in the way of everlasting salvation, that, by Thy grace, he may desire the things that are pleasing to Thee, and perform them with all his strength. O God, from Whom are all holy desires, righteous counsels, and just works, give to Thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that, our hearts being disposed to keep Thy commandments, and the fear of enemies taken away, the times, by Thy protection, may be peaceful. Inflame, O Lord, our reins and hearts with the fire of the Holy Spirit; that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart. O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, give to the souls of Thy servants departed the remission of all their sins, that through pious supplications they may obtain the pardon they have always desired. Direct, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our actions by Thy holy inspirations, and carry them on by Thy gracious assistance; that every prayer and work of ours may always begin from Thee, and through Thee be happily ended. O almighty and eternal God, Who hast dominion over the living and the dead, and art merciful to all who Thou foreknowest will be Thine by faith and good works: we humbly beseech Thee that they for whom we have purposed to offer our prayers, whether this present world still detains them in the flesh or the next world hath already received them divested of their bodies, may, by the intercession of Thy saints and the clemency of Thy goodness, obtain pardon and full remission of all their sins. Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Thy Son, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. R- Amen. V- O Lord, hear my prayer. R- And let my cry come unto Thee. V- May the almighty and merciful Lord graciously hear us. R- Amen. V- And my the souls of the faithful departed throught the mercy of God, rest in peace. R- Amen.

American Cathlic's Saint of the Day

November 1, 2004

Feast of All Saints

The earliest certain observance of a feast in honor of all the saints is an early fourth-century commemoration of "all the martyrs." In the early seventh century, after successive waves of invaders plundered the catacombs, Pope Boniface IV gathered up some 28 wagonloads of bones and reinterred them beneath the Pantheon, a Roman temple dedicated to all the gods. The pope rededicated the shrine as a Christian church. According to Venerable Bede, the pope intended "that the memory of all the saints might in the future be honored in the place which had formerly been dedicated to the worship not of gods but of demons" (On the Calculation of Time).

But the rededication of the Pantheon, like the earlier commemoration of all the martyrs, occurred in May. Many Eastern Churches still honor all the saints in the spring, either during the Easter season or immediately after Pentecost.

How the Western Church came to celebrate this feast in November is a puzzle to historians. The Anglo-Saxon theologian Alcuin observed the feast on November 1 in 800, as did his friend Arno, Bishop of Salzburg. Rome finally adopted that date in the ninth century.

Comment:

This feast first honored martyrs. Later, when Christians were free to worship according to their conscience, the Church acknowledged other paths to sanctity. In the early centuries the only criterion was popular acclaim, even when the bishop's approval became the final step in placing a commemoration on the calendar. The first papal canonization occurred in 993; the lengthy process now required to prove extraordinary sanctity took form in the last 500 years. Today's feast honors the obscure as well as the famous—the saints each of us have known.

Quote:

“After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.... [One of the elders] said to me, ‘These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb’” (Revelation 7:9,14).

Solemnity of All Saints

All Saints
Solemnity
November 1

Christ Glorified in the Court of Heaven
Fra Angelico - 1428-30, Tempera on wood - National Gallery, London

"The glorious company of the apostles praise Thee.
The goodly fellowship of the prophets praise Thee.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise Thee.
All Thy saints and elect with one voice do acknowledge Thee,
O Blessed Trinity, one God!"
-- Feast of All Saints (November 1), Antiphon at Lauds. from the Te Deum
Prayers - Scripture Readings | Family Activities

Origin of All Saint's Day as a feast of the ChurchWhat makes this feast so important that the Church celebrates both the night before All Saints and the day after it?
The Church has always honored those early witnesses to the Christian faith who have died in the Lord. (The Greek word for "witness" is martyr.) During the first three hundred years Christians were serverly persecuted, often suffering torture and bloody death -- because they were faithful . They refused to deny Christ, even when this denial might have saved their own lives, or the lives of their children and families.
The early history of the Church is filled with stories of the heroic faith of these of witnesses to Christ's truth. The stories of these saints -- these baptized Christians of all ages and all states in life, whose fidelity and courage led to their sanctity or holiness -- have provided models for every other Christian throughout history.
Many of those especially holy people whose names and stories were known, the Church later canonized (that is, the Church formally recognized that the life of that person was without any doubt holy, or sanctified -- a "saint" who is an example for us.) The Church's calendar contains many saint's days, which Catholics observe at Mass -- some with special festivities.
But there were thousands and thousands of early Christian martyrs, the majority of whose names are known only to God -- and throughout the history of the Church there have been countless others who really are saints, who are with God in heaven, even if their names are not on the list of canonized saints.
In order to honor the memory -- and our own debt -- to these unnamed saints, and to recall their example, the Church dedicated a special feast day -- a sort of "memorial day" -- so that all living Christians would celebrate at a special Mass the lives and witness of those "who have died and gone before us into the presence of the Lord".
This feast that we know as All Saint's Day originated as a feast of All Martyrs, sometime in the 4th century. At first it was celebrated on the first Sunday after Pentecost. It came to be observed on May 13 when Pope St. Boniface IV (608-615) restored and rebuilt for use as a Christian church an ancient Roman temple which pagan Rome had dedicated to "all gods", the Pantheon. The pope re-buried the bones of many martyrs there, and dedicated this Church to the Mother of God and all the Holy Martyrs on May 13, 610.
About a hundred years later, Pope Gregory III (731-741) consecrated a new chapel in the basilica of St. Peter to all saints (not just to the martyrs) on November 1, and he fixed the anniversary of this dedication as the date of the feast.
A century after that, Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended the celebration of All Saints to November 1 for the entire Church.
The vigil of this important feast, All Saint's Eve, Hallowe'en, was apparently observed as early as the feast itself.
Ever since then -- for more than a millennium -- the entire Church has celebrated the feast of All Saints on November 1st, and, of course, Hallowe'en on October 31.
It is a principal feast of the Catholic Church. It is a holy day of obligation, which means that all Catholics are to attend Mass on that day.

Prayers, Scripture Readings for All SaintsCollect
[That the prayers of all the saints will bring us forgiveness for our sins]
Father, all-powerful and ever-living God,
today we rejoice in the holy men and women
of every time and place.
May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

or

[We rejoice and keep festival in honor of all the saints]
God our Father, source of all holiness,
the work of Your hands is manifest in Your saints, the beauty of
Your truth is reflected in their faith.

May we who aspire to have part in their joy
be filled with the spirit that blessed their lives,
so that having shared their faith on earth
may we also know their peace in your kingdom.

Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
First Reading: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
I, John, saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun, with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, saying, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads." And I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed, out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, "Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb!" And all the angels stood round the throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they fell on their faces before the throne and worshiped God, saying, "Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen."

Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?" I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Second Reading: 1 John 3:1-3
See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every one who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself as He is pure.

Gospel Reading:
When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and when He sat down His disciples came to Him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

"Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven.

All Saints is a Holy Day of Obligation. The principal activity for every Catholic family today is to go to Mass -- together, if possible. (Note Liturgical Calendar)Other family activities:

After school, read (re-read) to your children Saint John's vision of the Resurrection of the Saints that we heard at Mass today. It is from the Book of Revelation (or the Apocalypse), chapter 7:2-4, 9-14.
Have them draw pictures of the descriptions it contains. Michelangelo's famous painting of the Last Judgment in the Sistine Chapel was inspired by this scripture passage. Your refrigerator is not the Sistine Chapel, but it's a good place to display the kids' pictures!
Talk (or read) to your children about the saints they are named for. If you don't already have a good "age-appropriate" book to read from, prepare in advance by looking up the saint on this web site, or by reading from, say, Butler's Lives of the Saints, and tell them the story in your own words.
Have each child choose a favorite saint, and make a booklet of their own about the saint's life. See the saint pages on this web site.
Help them focus on how this saint gave an example of unusual courage, or devotion, or dedication to others, and how we can learn from their example.
Take the children to a religious goods shop and allow the children to look for a medal or small statue of their own patron saint, or another favorite saint, along with a prayer card for that saint to use for bed time prayers. Ask your parish priest to bless these images for the children. (They can give them to the priest themselves for the blessings.
Teach children the great hymn For All the Saints (here from The Adoremus Hymnal).

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