November 2, 2013

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)
Lectionary: 668
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,

The just are they who keep the Commandments.

and no torment shall touch them.

That doesn't mean they won't suffer.  It just means that they will overcome and come closer to God by suffering.

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.

The wicked see the good die and gloat in their pride.

But they are in peace.

Never realizing that the good which die in the hand of God are now at peace.

For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
yet is their hope full of immortality;

Because, although they suffer in this world, their suffering assures their inheritance of the glory of God.

chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them
and found them worthy of himself.

The suffering in this life, no matter how hard it may seem, is nothing compared to the reward which the just will receive in God's kingdom.

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

As Christ suffered upon the cross for the forgiveness of man's sins, we are all called to suffer for our fellow man.

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.

In the world to come, the Just shall rule over God's creation.

Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
and his care is with his elect.

God loves those who love Him and put their trust in Him.

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 everything to us.  He loves us and provides for us.  Let us all turn to Him and return His everlasting love that we may dwell in His house forever.

Reading 2 ROM 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,

Faith is trust.  Hope is expectation.  Hope is waiting for that which in which we believe with all our heart.  And Hope in God does not disappoint.  Because God is true to us and true to Himself.

because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

God has poured His grace and love into our hearts in Baptism. 

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

"while we were still helpless" -  While we were still without the grace of God poured in our hearts by the Holy Spirit.

"ungodly" -  mortal men.

Christ died for us in accordance to God's plan. 

Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.

Christ died for all men, the just and the unjust, in order that those who live may turn to him and receive the promise of eternal inheritance.

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

Those who accept Jesus sacrifice and live henceforth unto themselves no longer, but live unto Him who died for them, they will be saved by Him from the upcoming wrath at the Judgment.

Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.

"while we were enemies" - before Baptism was instituted.  By Baptism we are renewed and regenerated, born again, children of God.

"we were reconciled to God" - All mankind was redeemed when Christ died upon the Cross.  

"once reconciled" - But not all men accepted the redemption.  Some turned away from it.  Only those who accepted the reconciliation brought about by Baptism are in reference here. 

"will we be saved by His life" - This is a reference to the sanctifying grace we receive in the Sacraments and also a reference to our cooperation and obedience to this grace when we keep the Commandments and return love for love. 

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

And now we are not ashamed to call God, Father, because we are His Children, members of the Body of Christ.

Or ROM 6:3-9

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

Be aware that when we were baptized, we died to ourselves.

We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death,

When we were baptized, we died with Christ.

so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead
by the glory of the Father,
we too might live in newness of life.

And after we were  baptized, we rose out of the water with a new life.  Just as Christ was raised from the dead, we were raised from sin and death.

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

In Baptism, we were united to Christ in His death.  So that we might also be raised to life in the resurrection.

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.

The sinful person we were was crucified and died so that we might be free of sin.

For a dead person has been absolved from sin.

A dead person can no longer sin.

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

We have died with Christ in order that we might live with Him.

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

Death no longer has power over Christ.  Nor does death have power over us.  Because all who believe and live for Christ will receive eternal life.

Gospel 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,

Christ said, "I will accept all whom the Father sends to me and will not send them away.

because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.

Because I have come to do the Father's will.

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 this is the will of the Father, that all whom He sends me should be saved.

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 the Father, that all who see the Son may obey Him and be raised unto eternal life.