ALL SAINTS DAY

Theme: The Human Face of the Gospel

Greeting (Rom1:7) To all of you who are God's beloved And called to be saints, Grace and peace from God our Father And from the Lord Jesus Christ. R/ And with your spirit.

Introduction by the Celebrant Today, on the Feast of all Saints, we celebrate in a way our own feast: namely, what we have been called to be and what we hope to become and what so many have been before us - people who somehow embody Christ, who show a little of his face to others, men and women and children who make God visible and tangible and human. Not that we want to pull down God to our level, but that through our humanity we show a glimpse of God. It is so little we show of him, and we thank all the nameless people who brought others a bit nearer to God. Let us celebrate that victory with joy.

Penitential Act Sin makes us weak and poor and keeps us from letting Christ and his Good News become flesh and blood in us. We ask the Lord to forgive us. (PAUSE) Lord Jesus, all praise to you for the blessed poor and the gentle, who lived with you in God's hands; Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Jesus Christ, all praise to you for the blessed merciful and the peacemakers, who brought people together in your name. Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, all praise to you for the blessed seekers of sanctity and justice, who revealed your own holiness and love. Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy. Have mercy on us, Lord, and take the wickedness of sin away from us. Keep calling us to reflect your goodness and lead us to the joy of everlasting life. R/ Amen. Opening Prayer Let us celebrate with joy all the saints victorious with Christ (PAUSE) All blessings to you, Lord our God, for you alone are holy,. In your Son Jesus Christ you called the poor and the humble to bear witness to your sanctity among their neighbors near and far. We honor you in all these saints and we ask that you take us too, in all our frailty and poverty, as signs to people of your own holiness We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

LITURGY OF THE WORD: First Reading Introduction: Victors With Christ St. John gives us a vision of hope in the ultimate future: those who live the Gospel of Christ will be victorious with him; their number will be immense. First Reading: Rev 7:2-4, 9-14 I saw another angel ascending from the sunrise, carrying the seal of the living God, and he cried out with a loud voice to the four angels empowered to harm the earth and the sea, "Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees until we have sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads."

Then I heard the number of those marked with the seal: a hundred and forty-four thousand from all the tribes of the people of Israel: After this I saw a great crowd, impossible to count, from every nation, race, people and tongue, standing before the throne and the Lamb, clothed in white, with palm branches in their hands, and they cried out with a loud voice, "Who saves but our God who sits on the throne and the Lamb?" All the angels were around the throne, the elders and the four living creatures; they then bowed before the throne with their faces to the ground to worship God. They said, Amen. Praise, glory, wisdom, thanks, honor, power and strength to our God forever and ever. Amen! At that moment, one of the elders spoke up and said to me, "Who are these people clothed in white, and where did they come from?" I answered, "Sir, it is you who know this." The elder replied, "They are those who have come out of the great persecution; they have washed and made their clothes white in the blood of the Lamb.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 24:1-6 The earth is the Lord's and all that is in it, the world, and those who live in it; for he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the rivers. Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD? And who shall stand in his holy place? Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, who do not lift up their souls to what is false, and do not swear deceitfully. They will receive blessing from the LORD, and vindication from the God of their salvation. Such is the company of those who seek him, who seek the face of the God of Jacob. Selah Second Reading Introduction: Children of God The key to all holiness is love, the certainty that God loves us - he loved us first and that we are his sons and daughters. This assurance makes us capable of all hope and love. Second Reading: 1 Jn 3:1-3 See what singular love the Father has for us: we are called children of God, and we

really are. This is why the world does not know us, because it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children and what we shall be has not yet been shown. Yet when he appears in his glory, we know that we shall be like him, for then we shall see him as he is. All who have such a hope try to be pure as he is pure. Gospel Introduction: The Beatitudes: God's Values The values of the gospel differ sharply from those of the world, yet are to be lived in the world to make it God's world. The beatitudes are the inspiration of a Christian's life. Gospel Reading: Mt 5:1-12 When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. He sat down and his disciples gathered around him. Then he spoke and began to teach them: Fortunate are those who have the spirit of the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are those who mourn, they shall be comforted. Fortunate are the gentle, they shall possess the land. Fortunate are those who hunger and thirst for justice, for they shall be satisfied. Fortunate are the merciful, for they shall find mercy. Fortunate are those with a pure heart, for they shall see God. Fortunate are those who work for peace, they shall be called children of God. Fortunate are those who are persecuted for the cause of justice, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Fortunate are you, when people insult you and persecute you and speak all kinds of evil against you because you are my followers. Be glad and joyful, for a great reward is kept for you in God. This is how this people persecuted the prophets who lived before you.

(Commentary) General Intercessions We are called children of God, and that is what we really are. Let us pray then in all trust and love to God, who is our Father, and let us say: R/ Lord of glory, hear our

prayer. - For all the people on earth, that their friendship, love and happiness may be a sign and foretaste of the eternal happiness which you want to give to all, let us pray: R/ Lord of glory, hear our prayer. - For all Christian Churches, that they may grow in solidarity and come closer in unity, let us pray: R/ Lord of glory, hear our prayer. - For those who suffer from poverty and misfortunes, from persecution and injustice, that they may be convinced that Christ is on their side, let us pray: R/ Lord of glory, hear our prayer. - For those who lack the courage to break with temptation and sin and for those who dare not commit themselves to follow the gospel of Christ, that the saints may inspire them and us, let us pray: R/ Lord of glory, hear our prayer. - For all of us here, that we may build community and that the seeds of holiness may grow in our hearts and deeds, let us pray: R/ Lord of glory, hear our prayer. - For our beloved dead, that they may rest secure in the love and joy of the Lord, let us pray: R/ Lord of glory, hear our prayer. Lord our God, you want us to be happy with your own happiness. Fill our everyday lives with your saving presence. Make us seek the kind of happiness that is real and lasting, today and tomorrow and for ever. R/ Amen. Pray Over the Gifts Lord our God, Jesus, your Son, had the courage to be different and unconventional. In this bread and wine we place our willingness to follow his way. As you change them through your Spirit into Jesus himself, transform us, weak as we are and timid, into new people, ready to take the risk of reshaping the world into your own image. Though we cannot yet see the outcome, reassure us that you will bring to a successful end what you let us begin in pain and effort.

We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord. R/ Amen. Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer We join Christ and his saints in giving thanks to the Father for the work of grace he has accomplished in those who have followed Jesus. Introduction to the Lord's Prayer God has filled our hearts with much love. He wants us to be called his children and this is indeed what we are. And so we can truly say to him: R/ Our Father Deliver Us Deliver us, Lord, from every evil and grant us peace in our day. Give us the courage to go with the saints the way to you of your own Son, in joys and hardships, in the strength of our weakness, as we wait in joyful hope for the coming in glory of our Savior Jesus Christ R/ For the kingdom Invitation to Communion This is the Lamb of God who shared our sufferings to make us share in his glory. Happy are those who hunger and thirst for God, for they shall be satisfied. R/ Lord, I am not worthy Prayer after Communion God our Father, thanks to the sacrifice of your Son the saints overcame evil and built up a bit of your kingdom. We have shared in his sacrifice today. By his strength, build with us, weak and ordinary as we are, and make us in our world a leaven of gentleness and mercy, of joy and peace and justice.

For you can do all this in us through Jesus Christ our Lord. R/ Amen. Blessing We have rejoiced today with all those, known and unknown, who live for ever in God's joy. They were ordinary people just like us, weak, with shortcomings and sins, yet they took Christ and his gospel seriously, and thus they became to others a road sign to the Lord. May the saints inspire you and may God be your strength and bless you the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen. Go with one another the Lord's way of love and peace. R/ Thanks be to God.
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Gospel Commentary (All Saints Day) One of the saints we celebrate today is a little old lady who lived in the house at the corner of my street. And my grandfather. And many more whose names we don't even know. They have passed through this world making almost no noise, yet serving their brothers and sisters. They are the most important bricks in the construction of the Heavenly Kingdom. They are saints because they opened their hearts and received God's grace and love, and they knew how to share them with others. Community, friendship, family, God's Kingdom, all formed around them. Thanks to them, faith has reached us and is alive in our history.
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Taken from Liturgy Alive for Sundays, Cycle A & Bible Diary 2002 (Scripture Readings from Christian Community Bible, Pastoral Edition) Copyright 2002 by Claretian Publications A division of Claretian Communications, Inc. U.P. P.O. Box 4 Diliman, 1101 Quezon City, Philippines Tel. (632) 921-3984 Fax: (632) 921-7429 Email: cci@claret.org