02
November
All Souls’ Day
Violet
The custom of remembering the faithful departed goes back to the early days of the church, when their names were posted in the church so they could be remembered. All Souls’ Day, is a day of remembrance, but also a day full of hope. Dead is not the end: there is life after dead
Entrance Antiphon : Cf.1 Th 4: 14; 1Cor 15:22
Just as Jesus died and has risen again, so through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep; and as in Adam all die, so also in Christ will all be brought to life.
Collect
Listen kindly to our prayers, O Lord, and, as our faith in your Son, raised from the dead, is deepened, so may our hope of resurrection for your departed servants also find new strength. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
First reading : Wisdom 3:1-9
The souls of the virtuous are in the hands of God, no torment shall ever touch them. In the eyes of the unwise, they did appear to die, their going looked like a disaster, their leaving us, like annihilation; but they are in peace. If they experienced punishment as men see it, their hope was rich with immortality; slight was their affliction, great will their blessings be. God has put them to the test and proved them worthy to be with him; he has tested them like gold in a furnace, and accepted them as a holocaust. When the time comes for his visitation they will shine out; as sparks run through the stubble, so will they. They shall judge nations, rule over peoples, and the Lord will be their king for ever. They who trust in him will understand the truth, those who are faithful will live with him in love; for grace and mercy await those he has chosen.
Psalm 22(23)
R/ The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.
1. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want. Fresh and green are the pastures where he gives me repose. Near restful waters he leads me, to revive my drooping spirit.
2. He guides me along the right path; he is true to his name. If I should walk in the valley of darkness no evil would I fear. You are there with your crook and your staff; with these you give me comfort.
3. You have prepared a banquet for me, in the sight of my foes. My head you have anointed with oil; my cup is overflowing.
4. Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me, all the days of my life. In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell, for ever and ever.
Second reading : Romans 5:5-11
Hope is not deceptive, because the love of God has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit which has been given us. We were still helpless when at his appointed moment Christ died for sinful men. It is not easy to die even for a good man – though of course for someone really worthy, a man might be prepared to die – but what proves that God loves us is that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Having died to make us righteous, is it likely that he would now fail to save us from God’s anger? When we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, we were still enemies; now that we have been reconciled, surely we may count on being saved by the life of his Son? Not merely because we have been reconciled but because we are filled with joyful trust in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have already gained our reconciliation.
Gospel Acclamation : Jn 6:39
Alleluia, alleluia! It is my Father’s will, says the Lord, that I should lose nothing of all he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day. Alleluia!
Gospel : Mark 15:33-39,16:1-6
When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, ‘Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?’ which means, ‘My God, my God, why have you deserted me?’ When some of those who stood by heard this, they said, ‘Listen, he is calling on Elijah.’ Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar and, putting it on a reed, gave it him to drink saying; ‘Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.’ But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last. And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died, and he said, ‘In truth this man was a son of God.’ When the sabbath was over, Mary of Magdala, Mary the mother of James, and Salome, bought spices with which to go and anoint him. And very early in the morning on the first day of the week they went to the tomb, just as the sun was rising. They had been saying to one another, ‘Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?’ But when they looked they could see that the stone – which was very big – had already been rolled back. On entering the tomb they saw a young man in a white robe seated on the right-hand side, and they were struck with amazement. But he said to them, ‘There is no need for alarm. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified: he has risen, he is not here. See, here is the place where they laid him.’
Prayer over the Offerings
Look favourably on our offerings, O Lord, so that your departed servants may be taken up into glory with your Son, in whose great mystery of love we are all united. Who lives and reigns for ever and ever.
Communion Antiphon : Cf. Jn 11: 25-26
I am the Resurrection and the Life, says the Lord. Whoever believes in me, even though he dies, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will not die for ever.
Prayer after Communion
Grant we pray, O Lord, that your departed servants, for whom we have celebrated this paschal Sacrament, may pass over to a dwelling place of light and peace. Through Christ our Lord.
Meditation
Today we remember all our brothers and sisters who have gone ahead of us. Our celebration of this day is not one of sorrow, but one of joy, for we do so in faith and hope that the faithful departed will participate in the resurrection of Christ and live in communion with us. The souls in purgatory are not lost; they are waiting for the fulfillment of God’s promise (2 Mac 12:38-46). Our prayers for them keep us in touch with them and are essential for them to receive what they look forward to: eternal life. The souls of our loved ones who have gone before us are in the hands of God, and nothing evil can reach them. As we continue to pray and do penance for them, let us strive to live in faith, hope and charity so that at the end of our pilgrimage on earth we may enjoy the beatific vision that God has promised us.