Friday November 1, 2024
ALL SAINTS (SOLEMNITY)
Office: Proper, Te Deum
Mass prop. Gloria. Creed.
Preface of All Saints
Vestment: White
Today’s Rosary: The Sorrowful Mystery
Vespers II of the Solemnity of All Saints
Today’s solemnity brings together the whole Church, both in heaven and on earth, to celebrate the triumph of God’s grace, since all of us are called to share in the holiness of God himself and to live holy lives here on earth. Our ancestors in faith, who have already completed their journey and lived holy lives, now intercede for us so that, one day, we may all be united around the banquet that the Trinity prepares for all the peoples of the world.
A plenary indulgence, applicable only to the souls in purgatory, is granted to any of the faithful who; on one of the days, from 1 to 8 November visits devoutly a cemetery or simply pray mentally for the dead.
ENTRANCE ANTIPHON
Let us all rejoice in the Lord, as we celebrate the feast day in honour of all the Saints, at whose festival the Angels rejoice and praise the Son of God.
THE GLORIA (When indicated this hymn is either sung or said)
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to people of good will. We praise you. We bless you, we adore you, we glorify you, we give you thanks for your great glory, Lord God, heavenly King, O God, almighty Father. Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son, Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, you take away the sins of the world, have mercy on us; you take away the sins of the world, receive our prayer; you are seated at the right hand of the Father, have mercy on us. For you alone are the Holy One, you alone are the Lord, you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
COLLET
Almighty ever living God, by whose gift we venerate in one celebration the merits of all the Saints, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we earnestly long. Through our Lord.
FIRST READING
A reading from the Book of Revelation (Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14)
I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and tongues.
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 worshipped God, saying, “Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour 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 from where they have 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.
The word of the Lord.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Psalm 24:1-2, 3-4ab, 5-6(R.cf. 6a)
R/. These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
the world, and all who dwell in it.
It is he who set it on the seas;
on the rivers he made it firm. R/.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The clean of hands and pure of heart,
whose soul is not set on vain things. R/.
R/. These are the people who seek your face, O Lord.
Blessings from the Lord shall he receive,
and right reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the people who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob. R/.
SECOND READING
We shall see God as he is.
A reading from the first Letter of Saint John (1 John 3:1 -3)
Beloved: 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.
The word of the Lord.
ALLELUIA Matthew 11:28
Alleluia. Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest, says the Lord. Alleluia.
GOSPEL
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew (Matthew 5:1-12a)
At that time: Seeing the crowds, Jesus 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.
The Gospel of the Lord.
The Creed (I Believe)
I believe in one God, the Father almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all things visible and invisible. I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God, born of the Father before all ages. God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father; through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven, and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate, he suffered death and was buried, and rose again on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son, who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified, who has spoken through the prophets. I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church. I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come. Amen.
PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL
Celebrant:
God is praised when his saints are honoured. As we celebrate the triumph of all the saints, let us pray that, after our earthly lives, we may all be united around the table of the Lord in his heavenly banquet.
FOR THE PASTORS OF THE CHURCH: that the Pope, Bishops, and priests, following the example of the saints, may be faithful witnesses of God’s immense love and compassion in our world. We pray O Lord
FOR CIVIL AND TRADITIONAL AUTHORITIES: that, inspired by the lives of the saints, they may fulfil their responsibilities in ways that are pleasing to God, enhance justice and peace, and promote the dignity of human persons. We pray O Lord
FOR THOSE FACING PERSECUTION ON ACCOUNT OF THEIR BELIEF IN CHRIST: that, through the intercession of the holy martyrs, they may remain steadfast in their Christian faith and remain resolute in preaching and bearing witness to the Gospel of Christ. We pray O Lord
FOR OURSELVES: that, aided by the prayers of the saints, we may seek holiness in our work, in our family, and in all the rest of our ordinary activities. We pray O Lord
FOR OTHER INTENTIONS: (the sick, Church projects or other activities).
FOR THE DEAD, ESPECIALLY THOSE OF OUR PARISH COMMUNITY AND FAMILY MEMBERS: that they may find eternal rest with the Lord. Let us pray to the Lord.
We pray in silence for our private intentions,
Celebrant:
Father of holiness and grace, we offer our prayers through the intercession of all your saints, trusting that you will hear and answer them. Through Christ our Lord.
R/. Amen
TODAY’S REFLECTION
The celebration of All Saints seems to be more urgent now than ever. In a world where it has become unpopular to be Christian, a world where there are many stories of clerical abuse and unbelievable scandals, a world where, in the name of a “progressive” world-view, liberalism is the center-stage, a world where holding on to the faith has become difficult, we need to be reminded that we are not alone. The saints are those who have undergone the exact disappointments we and our contemporaries experiences, but who stood firm to the end. These saints are not just people that once existed; they are with us even today, the church triumphant accompanying us all the way with unending prayers and cheering us on. Let us pray that we may never despair nor become despondent, but with courage journey on in faith.
PRAYER FOR THE NEW MONTH
As we rejoice for the gift of the new month of November, we give you thanks O Lord for the gift of all saints in heaven as we celebrate the “SOLEMNITY OF ALL SAINTS.”
Through the intercession of all the Saints may this month be for us a November to remember and may good things come our way. Amen.
May the Lord be for us a helper in our times of need and may he turn our sorrows into joy
In the name of Jesus Christ, I bless this month for you and for me. May we succeed in all our endeavours and may Gods name be praised in our life and work. Amen.
Be kind and generous and you will forever be happy and satisfied.
Meditation: Matthew 5:1-12, Isaiah 51:11, Psalm 33
PERSONAL DEVOTIONAL
- On this day we praise and thank God for what He has done for us through these holy people. We ask the saints to pray for us that we might love our God and neighbor the way Jesus taught us.
-We ask God in His infinite mercies to clean and wash white our spiritual attire with the Blood of the lamb.
Let Us Pray,
Lord, I praise you for your salvation and the fellowship of your people. Show me who I can pray for and invite to know you in Jesus name. Amen.
