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November 2 2019 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed(All Souls) Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;and their passing away was thought an afflictionand their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished,yet is their hope full of immortality;chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,because God tried themand found them worthy of himself.As gold in the furnace, he proved them,and as sacrificial offerings he took...

You have abandoned me in Purgatory! From the writings of Don Giuseppe Tomaselli (1902-1989). In this life of moral wretchedness, to justify our weaknesses, we say: my passions are so strong that I can’t always resist them! Anyway, after sinning I rush back to Confession! Others say: I don’t commit serious sins! I fail constantly in certain small things, which are unavoidable! There are those instead who sin more than I do and much more gravely!  When someone dies, we are want to exclaim: What a holy person! He did so much good! For sure he went to Heaven!...

Franciscan Media Image: Orthodox service for the Faithful Departed | Vasily Vereshchagin Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed Saint of the Day for November 2  The Story of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed The Church has encouraged prayer for the dead from the earliest times as an act of Christian charity. “If we had no care for the dead,” Augustine noted, “we would not be in the habit of praying for them.” Yet pre-Christian rites for the deceased retained such a strong hold on the superstitious imagination that a liturgical commemoration was not observed until the early...

Praying for Those Who Have Died Is a Work of Mercy Msgr. Charles Pope • November 1, 2018 • What is the value of one prayer? I suspect it is far greater than any of us imagine. Prayer changes things, sometimes in obvious ways, but more often in subtle and even paradoxical ways. But prayer is surely important, even when we don’t experience its immediate effects. Perhaps this is why Jesus taught us to pray always and never to lose heart (cf. Luke 18:1). St. Paul echoed this with the simple exhortation, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). St....

November 2, 2018 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed - (All Souls) Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;and their passing away was thought an afflictionand their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished,yet is their hope full of immortality;chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,because God tried themand found them worthy of himself.As gold in the furnace, he proved them,and as sacrificial offerings...

November 2, 2017 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed(All Souls) The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day. Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;and their passing away was thought an afflictionand their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished,yet is their hope full of immortality;chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,because God tried themand found them...

An All Souls Day Traditional Latin Mass was celebrated Wednesday on the Fort Hood Military base. The Mass was offered on the hood of a military humvee, the traditional way Mass is offered during time of battle. With some 60 people in attendance, the Mass was especially offered up for the fallen 1st Cavalry Division soldiers who died in the Battle of Unsanin during the Korean War on November 2, 1950. The Mass was held on the grounds of the 1st Cavalry Division Museum and was also in honor of Fr. Emile Kapaun, 1st Cavalry Division chaplain and Medal of...

Praying for the Living and the Dead – A Spiritual Work of Mercy Msgr. Charles Pope • November 2, 2016 • What is the value of one prayer? I suspect it is far greater than any of us imagine. Prayer changes things, sometimes in obvious ways, more often in subtle and even paradoxical ways. But prayer is surely important, even when we don’t experience its immediate effects. Perhaps this is why Jesus taught us to pray always and never to lose heart (cf Luke 18:1). St. Paul echoed this with the simple exhortation, “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17)....

November 2, 2016 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed(All Souls) The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day. Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;and their passing away was thought an afflictionand their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished,yet is their hope full of immortality;chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,because God tried themand found them...

November 2, 2015 The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed(All Souls) The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day. Reading 1 Wis 3:1-9 The souls of the just are in the hand of God,and no torment shall touch them.They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;and their passing away was thought an afflictionand their going forth from us, utter destruction.But they are in peace.For if before men, indeed, they be punished,yet is their hope full of immortality;chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,because God tried themand found them...

If you go to Rome, you can visit the Piccolo Museo del Purgatorio. Google it and look at some more of the very interesting pictures. People have come back from purgatory to burn their hand prints into prayer books, and clothing. Talk about proof of the fire of purgatory. Yet most people do nothing for the souls of our loved ones suffering there. So today we had a Holy Latin Requiem Mass for All Souls.

What Is All Souls Day (Commemoration of the Faithful Departed)? All Souls Day History, Information, Prayers, Meaning, Traditions, & More All Souls Day Definition and Meaning What is All Souls Day? It is when the Church commemorates and prays for the souls in Purgatory, who are undergoing purification before entering heaven. All Souls Day is November 2nd, the day after All Saints Day. Prayers: All Souls Day PrayersBasic Facts About All Souls Day Liturgical Color(s): Black, White, or VioletType of Holiday: A Special Class; Ranked With Solemnities because it takes precedence over a SundayTime of Year: November 2 (West),...

On Death and Life "Man Needs Eternity -- and Every Other Hope, for Him, Is All Too Brief" VATICAN CITY, NOV. 2, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Here is a translation of the address Benedict XVI gave today at the general audience. * * * Dear brothers and sisters, After celebrating the Solemnity of All Saints, the Church today invites us to commemorate all the faithful departed, to turn our gaze to so many faces that have gone before us and that have completed their earthly journey. In today's audience, then, I would like to offer a few simple thoughts on the reality...

...[T]oday's feast of All Saints is wholly different from tomorrow's feast: that of All Souls. Today, we celebrate the men and women who have entered heaven; tomorrow, we will remember the souls of our friends and family members who are being purified to do the same. Today, we pray to the saints in heaven with full confidence that they will intercede for us; tomorrow, we pray for the souls in purgatory with full hope that others will do the same for us after we are gone. There's a big difference between the emphases (and purpose) of the two days. Honestly,...

For Purgatory, Thank Heavens Posted by Frank —Feast of All SoulsWhen I was straddling the fence on whether or not I should become a Catholic, I never had a problem with Purgatory. It just makes the most sense to me. I'll admit that I thought I would have a big problem with it at first. Because, you see, it isn't mentioned specifically in the Bible (along with about a million other details). But where did all the people who died go, for example from the Old Testament times? Assuming that all the people who had died before the Incarnation were...

How Halloween Can Be Redeemed by Page McKean Zyromski Halloween has grown into a major secular holiday in American culture. But for those who don’t value devotion to the saints, the Eve has become "hollow" instead of "hallow." The purpose behind it has been lost—like celebrating New Year’s Eve without a New Year’s Day. Take away the saints and our beliefs about the dignity and destiny of human beings, and the only thing left is pre-Christian superstition regarding the dead. Among many Christians, there has been concern that things have gotten out of hand. After all, doesn’t Halloween glorify evil?...

All Saints and All Souls    FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS What is the origin of All Saints and All Souls Day. Are they linked with paganism and Halloween? Both the Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. However, elements of pagan practices were perhaps “baptized” by some cultures or attached themselves to the celebration of All Saints and All Souls. Let us first address the Feast of All Saints. The exact origins of this celebration are uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in 313, a...

HALLOWEEN: ITS ORIGINS AND CELEBRATION The celebration of Halloween has dual origins. The first is in a pre-Christian Celtic feast associated with the Celtic New Year. The second is in the Christian celebration of All Saints Day (Nov. 1st) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). In the British Isles November 1st is called All Hallows, thus the evening before is All Hallows Eve. The Celtic FeastThe ancient Celtic peoples who inhabited England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany (NW France) celebrated their New Year's Day on what would be November 1st on our calendar. Prior to their conversion to Catholicism these...