LET US PRAY
All Saints’ Day
Lord, bless the saints in heaven, gathered in that special place. May we tell their stories and remember all the ways they lived their faith. May we live like them as faithful disciples, inspired by their example. Let us always hold them dear and know their life and place. May we know their inspiration and aspire to their grace. Lord, thank you for the example of the Saints. Amen
When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people 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, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”
All Souls’ Day
Lord bless the many departed souls who lived their lives with grace. We remember those dear and close to our hearts, family members, relatives and friends. We pray for those who, sought to embody your grace and love, those who received and carried tradition, and in turn passed it on to us. May they rejoice in Your kingdom, in the company of your son Jesus. Amen
Jesus said to the crowds: “All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I shall not turn him away; because I have come from heaven, not to do my own will, but to do the will of the one who sent me. Now the will of him who sent me is that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day. Yes, it is my Father’s will that whoever sees the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and that I shall raise him up on the last day.
The above prayers and scripture highlight the upcoming feast days, of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Day that is celebrated by the Catholic Church. We remember All Saints’ Day on Wednesday November 1st and all Souls’ Day on Thursday November 2nd. These two days are in honour of all in heaven. There are countless men and women over the last millennia who are officially recognized as saints by the Catholic Church, and there are many more who are not known by name. The Church celebrates All Saints’ Day each year to commemorate each individual in Heaven: those known by name and those known to God alone. We come to remember those who have gone before us, those who have taken up the task and walked in the ways of God. It is these saints who inspire us to embrace the upward call of God. We celebrate the lives of all those who have been marked with the sign of faith, those who have been canonised by the church, those whom we have known personally as well as those whose names we do not know.
What is a Saint? 
The word saint comes from the Latin word ‘sanctus’ meaning ‘holy’. A saint is someone who has proven himself or herself to be virtuous and holy by following God’s teachings and has entered the kingdom of heaven. To become a saint, a formal request for an individual to be considered for sainthood is submitted to a special Vatican tribunal. The request must explain how the person lived a life of holiness, pureness, kindness and devotion. If the candidate meets the requirements, the tribunal officially recognises this person to be a Servant of God. The Church teaches that by imitating the virtues lived by the saints, the saints brings us closer to Christ. When we ask the saints to pray for us, we ask them to join their wills with the will of God and intercede for us here on earth. This is the Communion of Saints which we profess every Sunday in the Creed.
On All Souls’ Day, we pray that all those who have died, our loved ones, and also those people around the world who we will never meet that through the mercy of God, will rest in peace. It allows us to remember with thanksgiving before God those whom we have known and who nurtured us in faith. The Church encourages prayers for the faithfully departed and, during November, a list of the names of the dead is usually placed in the church so that the community can remember them in prayer. Many people also visit and sometimes decorate the graves of deceased loved ones on All Souls’ Day and throughout the month of November. The feast of All Souls is not a feast of sadness, but one of great hope and confidence. It invites us to entrust our loved ones to God. We know that if we have loved them, God has loved them more. They are in God’s care, and like a good shepherd God will lead them to peace.
Mrs Barone
