Liturgy of the Word — Rev. 7:2-4, 9-14; Ps. 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6; 1 Jn. 3:1-3; Mt. 5:1-12.

Notes from the ORDO:

1. A Plenary Indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, is granted to any of the faithful who: (1) on one of the days from 1 to 8 November visit devoutly a cemetery or simply pray mentally for the dead; (2) on All Souls Day visit a church or a chapel with devotion, and recite the Our Father and the Creed.

2. A Partial Indulgence, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, is granted to any of the faithful who: (1) visit a cemetery or simply pray for the dead; (2) pray Lauds or Vespers of the Office for the Dead or simply pray, “Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light shine upon them. May their souls and the souls of all the faithful departed rest in peace. Amen.”

Some Notes on All Saints’ Day, also known as All Hallow’s Day:

3. The celebration of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day is rooted in our belief in the Communion of Saints, the deep spiritual bond between those in heaven (the Church Triumphant), those on earth (the Church Militant), and those in Purgatory (the Church Suffering or Penitent). We unite our hearts with and, in a special way, remember, the faithful departed, whether they be in heaven or in purgatory.  All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day together form “Allhallowtide,” a sacred time to reflect on life, death, and our eternal destiny.

4. By the 4th century, feasts commemorating the Christian martyrs were being held in various places. By the 7th century, Pope Boniface IV officially designated a day to honor all the saints. In 607, the Emperor donated the Roman Pantheon to the Pope. The Pope removed the statues of pagan gods and consecrated the Pantheon to all the “saints” of the first 300 years after Christ. 

In the 9th century, some places in the British Isles began commemorating the Feast of All Saints on 1 November, which Pope Gregory IV (827-844) extended to the universal Church.  People prepared for the celebration with a night of vigil on Hallows’ Eve, “Halloween.”

5. 1st Reading, Rev. 7:2-4, 9-14 — In a vision of heaven, John sees the seal of God placed on the foreheads of the servants of God; 144,000 from the tribes of Israel were marked with the seal (vv. 2-4). The tribe of Dan is omitted because of a later tradition that the anti-Christ would arise from it. Then John sees yet another vision of a “great multitude from every nation, race, people, or tongue.” This is symbolic of the “New Israel.” They stand before the throne and before the Lamb. They wear white robes and hold branches of palms — symbols of joy and victory — and cry out, “Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb” (vv. 9-14). 

6. Resp. Ps. 24: 1-2, 3-4, 5-6 — The Glory of God. “The earth is the Lord’s and all who dwell on it.... Who may go up the mountain of the Lord? Who can stand in his holy place? The clean of hand and pure of heart....He will receive blessings from the Lord, and justice from his saving God” (vv. 2-5).  In the context of John’s vision, the elect in heaven, those in white robes with palm branches, are “the clean of hands and pure of heart.” 

7. 2nd Reading, 1 Jn. 3:1-3 — “See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called children of God. Yet so we are” (v. 1). We are God’s children now, and we shall see Him as He is and shall be like Him. Therefore, with this hope, let us make ourselves pure, as He is pure (vv. 2-3). 

8. Gospel, Mt. 5: 1-12, The Beatitudes. In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins teaching His disciples and the crowds (Mt. 7:28): “Blessed are the poor in Spirit, for theirs is the kingdom heaven” (vv. 3-4). The “poor in spirit” are the “anawim,” who recognize their total dependence on God and have complete trust in him. They are the lowly and humble. 

9. “Blessed are they who mourn, for they will be comforted” (v. 5). “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land” (v. 5). “Land” here means the kingdom of God. “Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (vv. 6-7). “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy” (v. 7). 

10. “Blessed are the clean of heart, for they will see God” (v. 8; see Ps. 42:2; Rev. 7:13, the elect in white robes before the throne of God). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God” (v. 9). “Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (v. 10).

“Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of evil against you because of me.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven. Thus, they persecuted the prophets before you” (vv. 11-12).

11. The Liturgy of the Word tells us of a great multitude in heaven, martyrs and confessors, who lived the Beatitudes. In Heb. 11, we are given examples of the “great cloud of witnesses,” whose lives tell of God’s unfailing love and grace. We are invited to reflect on the lives of the saints, especially on our personal patron saints, after whose names we are called. We are called to imitate their lives of faithful, loving, and courageous discipleship. We ask them to pray for us and help us attain our common vocation to become saints.

In truth, the Acts of the Apostles and Letters of St. Paul speak of all those who believe in Christ as “saints” (see 1 Cor. 1:2).

12. Prayer — Almighty ever-living God, by your 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 Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.