November 2, 2012

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed  (All Souls)

All souls day, on this day we pray for all souls of the faithful departed.  We ask God to show mercy upon them and lead them to His Kingdom.  Read more.

Lectionary: 668

 The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day.

First Reading from the holy book of Wisdom

Wis 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
and no torment shall touch them.

>>>God loves the righteous and keeps their souls from harm:

Isaiah 41:10

King James Version (KJV)
¹⁰ Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.

They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction.

>>>Atheists (called fools in Scripture because they don't believe in God) think that when the righteous die they have disappeared from all existence.

But they are in peace.

>>>But little do they know that they are peacefully resting in the arms of God.

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 them
and found them worthy of himself.

>>>Although righteous men suffer in the hands of the wicked it is simply a trial permitted by God in order that He may profoundly bless them:

1 Peter 1:7
King James Version (KJV)
⁷ That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:

As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.

>>>St. John says elsewhere:

Revelation 3:18
King James Version (KJV)
¹⁸ I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see.

In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
and the LORD shall be their King forever.

>>>

1 Corinthians 6:2-4
King James Version (KJV)² Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?³ Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?⁴ If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.

Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:

>>>

John 14:23
King James Version (KJV)
²³ Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.

because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

>>>

Titus 3:5
King James Version (KJV)
⁵ Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

or:

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

or:

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

or:

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

or:

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.

or:

R. Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

>>>God is our shepherd.  And we are His sheep.  Therefore, let us strive to follow and not a false one:

John 10:11-14
King James Version (KJV)
¹¹ I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep.¹² But he that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and leaveth the sheep, and fleeth: and the wolf catcheth them, and scattereth the sheep.¹³ The hireling fleeth, because he is an hireling, and careth not for the sheep.¹⁴ I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.

Second Reading from St. Paul's epistle to the Romans

 Rom 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

>>>Those of us who hope in God will not be disappointed.

For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.

>>>Because our Lord Jesus died for us on the Cross.

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.

>>>Human beings will not die for even a righteous person or maybe but with great difficulty.

But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

>>>But God proves His love for us by sending His only begotten Son to die for our sins.

How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.

>>>How much more will He save those who are baptized in the Blood of His Son and have become His children.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,

>>>Indeed, by His death, Christ united us to His Father.

how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.

>>>And now that we are one with His Body, we are saved by His Resurrection.

Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

>>>And we now glory in the Lord through the grace bestowed upon us by His Son through whom we are reunited with the Father.

Or the alternate second reading also from the St. Paul's epistle to the Romans 

Rom 6:3-9

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus
were baptized into his death?

>>>Do you not know that in Baptism we are united to the Cross of Christ?

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

>>>Indeed, we died with Christ in Baptism and therefore, just as He was raised from the dead, we also await the Resurrection.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his,
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.

>>>Because being united with Him in death we will be united with Him in life.

We know that our old self was crucified with him,
so that our sinful body might be done away with,
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.

>>>For in Baptism we crucified our passions to the Cross that we might be free of sin.

For a dead person has been absolved from sin.

>>>For a dead person can commit no sin.

If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.

>>>And since we have died with Christ, we believe we will live with Him in heaven for eternity.

We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.

>>>Because by overcoming death, He has given us life, we who are His Body.

A reading from the Holy Gospel according to St. John

Jn 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds:
"Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.

>>>Christ said to the people, "all who come to me are sent by the Father.  And I will not reject them.  Because I came not to do my own will but my Father's.

And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.

>>>And He does not will that any whom He sent me, perish.

For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day."

>>>And this is the will of God, that all who believe in me shall live and be raised on the last day.

Sincerely,

De Maria