All the saints are celebrated each year on November 1; however, most Christian traditions of honoring the dead are linked with All Souls Day on November 2. On this day, we remember our own loved ones who have gone before us in faith. These tributes extend beyond the day itself and last through the month of November, the Month of All Souls. The days are now at their darkest; crops have been harvested; leaves have changed colors and are falling to the ground; while the readings of the liturgy direct our thoughts to the end times, when Christ will return in his full glory restoring the fullness of salvation to all creation. What a perfect time to remember our beloved dead.
All Souls Remembrance
For I am convinced
that neither death, nor life,
nor angels, nor rulers,
nor things present, nor things to come,
nor powers, nor height, nor depth,
nor anything else in all creation,
will be able to separate us
from the love of God
in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans:8:38-39
Prayer for the Dead
In your hands, O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters. In this life you embraced them with your tender love; deliver them now from every evil and bid them eternal rest.
The old order has passed away: welcome them into paradise, where there will be no sorrow, no weeping or pain, but fullness of peace and joy with your Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. R/. Amen.
Give Them Light and Peace
God, who gives life to all who believe, you dwell in unapproachable light, yet your mercy leads those who hope in you to a place in your presence before your throne. Grant light and peace to our brothers and sisters who have gone before us marked with the sign of faith and who have trusted in your never-ending love. Bring the faithful departed into your kingdom of light, happiness, and peace. Give them a secure dwelling place in the mansion of your holiness, and let them shine with the light of your glory. Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them. Amen.
O gather up the brokenness and bring it to me now / The fragrance of those promises you never dared to vow / The splinters that you carry, the cross you left behind / Come healing of the body / Come healing of the mind / And let the heavens hear it, the penitential hymn / Come healing of the spirit / Come healing of the limb
Behold the gates of mercy in the arbitrary space / And none of us deserving, the cruelty or the grace / O solitude of longing where love has been confined / Come healing of the body / Come healing of the mind / O see the darkness yielding, that tore the light apart / Come healing of the reason / Come healing of the heart
O troubled dust concealing, an undivided love / The Heart beneath is teaching to the broken Heart above / O let the heavens falter and let the earth proclaim: Come healing of the Altar / Come healing of the Name
O longing of the branches to lift the little bud / O longing of the arteries to purify the blood / And let the heavens hear it, the penitential hymn / Come healing of the spirit / Come healing of the limb / O let the heavens hear it, the penitential hymn / Come healing of the spirit / Come healing of the limb
We remember them…
In the rising of the sun and in its going down, we remember them.
In the beginning of the year and when it ends, we remember them.
In the rustling of the leaves and in the beauty of autumn, we remember them.
In the blowing of the wind and in the chill of winter, we remember them.
In the opening of buds and in the rebirth of spring, we remember them.
In the blueness of the sky and in the warmth of summer, we remember them.
When we are weary and in need of strength, we remember them.
When we are lost and sick at heart, we remember them.
When we have joys we yearn to share, we remember them.
So long as we live, they too shall live, for they are now a part of us, as we remember them.
Hymns of Glory for All Souls Day
Prayer for Our Beloved Dead
Almighty God,
it is our certain faith that your Son,
who died on the cross,
was raised from the dead,
the first fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
Grant that through this mystery
your servants
who have gone to their rest in Christ,
may share in the joy of his resurrection.
I ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.
Earth hath no sorrow that heaven cannot heal. -St. Thomas More
All you holy men and women, pray for us.
A litany for the month of November
"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. 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 up on the last day."
- Jn 6:39-40
Our beloved deceased from November 2020 through October 2021
Of Blessed Memory
Angelo Tata
Celia Juras
Kimberly Gallagher
James Podzikowski
Ronald Frazier
Those who have died are still with us
and we are still connected with them.
Marilyn Serapiglia
Violeta Pacatan
Bradford Baldwin
Salud Williams
Sue Kennedy
Do Not Let Your Hearts Be Troubled
“The right to weep must not be denied. Even Jesus was deeply moved and profoundly troubled by the bereavement of a family he loved. We can, instead, draw from the simple and powerful witness of many families who have known how to grasp, in the difficult passage of death, also the safe passage offered by the Lord, crucified and risen, with his irrevocable promise of the resurrection of the dead. The work of God's love is stronger than the work of death. We must seek to be 'accomplices' to that love, with our faith. … Death was defeated by Jesus on the cross. Jesus will restore all of us to our families.” Pope Francis
Robert Proffitt
Euna Feschnuk
Bernard Laframboise
Michael Lennon
Susanne Smith
Roberta Wilder
Patrick Curtin
Dennis Markey
Angie Caratelli
Randy Wilson
Those whom we love and lose
are no longer where they were before.
They are now wherever we are.
St. John Chrysostum
Rebecca Lesser
Andrew Lesser
Giuseppina Ferrari
Jean Duplessis
Sr. Jane Zoltek
There Is A Place
I am the resurrection.
Whoever believes in Me shall never die.
Richard Gadoua
Frederick Kendall
Dee Becker
Michael Kollenberg
Jerry Utych
Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord,
and let perpetual light shine upon them.
May the souls of the faithful departed,
through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.
My Spirit is Still Alive
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there; I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond that glints on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the gentle autum rain.
When you awaken in the morning's hush
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of quiet birds in circled flight.
I am the soft star that shines at night.
Do not stand at my grave and cry;
I am not there; I did not die.
A song for a time of loss
LIFE GOES ON...
ABOUT THE SADNESS OF THE LAST GOOD BYE... AND THE JOY IN KNOWING THAT THE END IS THE BEGINNING.
LIFE GOES ON
Here's the fated hour This unwelcomed time Where there's no pretending Where we draw a line Facing a truth that from now on Defines your life's journey...and mine
One last look for the moment I already miss your grace I see your physical features But it's an empty face If ever I wondered now I know for sure That you are in a better place
It weighs my heart, fills my head Trust me -- This is taking so much more Than I could ever imagine It rips me up, breaks me down I'm torn apart But I'm holding to the faith we share And I am still believing Life goes on
When this goodbye's over How do I go home Ladened with my memories And a heart like stone I need the Lord to carry me God knows I won't make it on my own
It weighs my heart, fills my head Truly this is so much harder Than I could have ever imagined Why're you looking for me here, At what remains, you seem to say It's almost like you're standing next to me Whispering to me that
Life goes on It weighs my heart, fills my head Trust me -- This is taking so much more Than I could ever imagine Why're you looking for me here, At what remains, you seem to say It's almost like you're standing next to me Whispering to me that Life goes on
Out of the depths I cry to You, O Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let Your ears be attentive to my voice in supplication. If You, O Lord, mark iniquities, Lord, who can stand? But with You is forgiveness, that You may be revered. I trust in the Lord; my soul trusts in His word. My soul waits for the Lord more than sentinels wait for the dawn. More than sentinels wait for the dawn, let Israel wait for the Lord, For with the Lord is kindness and with Him is plenteous redemption; And He will redeem Israel from all their iniquities.
Sometimes our hearts may be filled with fear – fear of now, and fear of our future.
At times it may even be hard to say what we are afraid of, but we know that we are afraid.
God knows our fears, and God promises to listen to our deepest concerns,
to provide for all our needs, and to stay close to us when we are afraid.
"Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior." (Isaiah 43:1-3)
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)
"Don't be afraid. Just stand where you are and watch, and you will see the wonderful way the Lord will rescue you today." (Exodus 14:13)
"Don't be afraid, do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you. (2 Chronicles 20:17)
"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." (Matthew 6:34)
"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."(2 Timothy 1-7)
"I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears." (Psalms 34:4)
Prayer
Jesus, you and I have both grieved. As you trusted your Father, may I learn to trust. As you experienced Resurrection may I experience resurrection. And when I grieve, be a part of me with your strength and compassion.