CELEBRATING THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS

The communion of saints is the spiritual solidarity which binds together the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory, and the saints in heaven

in the unity of the mystical body with Christ as its head.

HYMN: FOR ALL THE SAINTS

For all the saints, who from their labors rest, Who Thee by faith before the world confessed, Thy Name, O Jesus, be forever blessed. Alleluia, Alleluia!

Thou wast their Rock, their Fortress and their Might; Thou, Lord, their Captain in the well fought fight; Thou, in the darkness drear, their one true Light. Alleluia, Alleluia!

But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day The saints triumphant rise in bright array; The King of glory passes on His way. Alleluia, Alleluia!

From earth’s wide bounds, from ocean’s farthest coast, Through gates of pearl streams in the countless host, And singing to Father, Son and Holy Ghost: Alleluia, Alleluia!

Presence of God Yahweh, we come into Your presence singing for joy as we remember all who have died and are with you. We rejoice and are glad that You have seen fit to call us to live, to love, and to serve one another as we live out our daily existence on this earth. Glory and praise to You O Triune and Everlasting God. Amen.

Prayer before the Scripture Readings

O Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of our hearts, that we may hear Your word and understand and do You will as we journey to You. Praise and glory to You for You are Light for our eyes. You give us every good deed and gift.

SCRIPTURE 1 John 3:1-3 See what love the Father has given us that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him. Beloved, we are God's children now; it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. And every one who thus hopes in Him purifies Himself as He is pure. The Word of the Lord!

Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be an affliction, and their going from us to be their destruction; but they are at peace. For though in the sight of men they were punished, their hope is full of immortality.

Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of Himself; like gold in the furnace He tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering He accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples and the Lord will reign over them forever. Those who trust in Him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with Him in love, because grace and mercy are upon His elect, and He watches over His holy ones. The Word of the Lord!

Colossians 3:12-17 Brothers and sisters; God loves you and has chosen you as His own special people. So be gentle, kind, humble, meek, and patient. Put up with each other, And forgive anyone who does you wrong, Just as Christ has forgiven you. Love is more important that anything else. It is what ties everything completely together. Each one of you is part of the body of Christ, And you were chosen to live together in peace. Whatever you say or do should be done In the name of the Lord Jesus, As you give thanks to God the Father because of Him. The word of the Lord!

Reflection: Stephen W. Scott

We hear about saints from time to time. Everybody knows the stories about St. Nicholas, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Mother Cabrini, St. Francis and St. John Baptist de La Salle. The Catholic Church recognizes certain Christians as having so many of the qualities of Jesus Christ that they are worthy of being called saints and worthy of our emulation. For the modern church to canonize someone, to recognize someone as a saint, miracles have to be credited to the intercession of the saintly person. Mother Teresa, who died seven years ago, along with Pope John Paul II are supposed to be on the fast track to canonization because some people are already claiming miracles that have resulted from praying to them and to their successful intercession. But most people in the modern world don’t recognize saints, don’t even think about them. Instead we are more interested in celebrities – millions of dollars worth of celebrity-centered magazines and tabloids exploit this interest in people who are richer than we are – or more talented or more beautiful. We don’t go to their shrines

to pray, but we watch their TV programs or go to their games or buy tickets to their movies. So we’ve lost the old meaning of the saints. The Protestant Reformation led us to understand that our prayers ought to be directed only to God, and even though we still recognize some people as more saintly than most, the study of Scripture has led us to a broader interpretation of what it is to be a saint. The word “saint” means “one who is holy.” Being holy isn’t something we conjure up within ourselves. Instead, it’s a gift of God. Just as God is holy, different from everything else, completely other than anyone or anything we have known in perfection, justice, and every other quality, God sets some people aside to be different from the usual way of the world, to realize the source of life and the destiny of their being aren’t in this world but instead are in God. That’s what it is to be holy. Sometimes we are aware enough of the grace we have received to do just that. Sometimes we manage to live a little according to the way Jesus commends to us His sermon, loving enemies and doing good to those who hate us and blessing those who curse us and praying for those who abuse us. In fact, if I have remembered as saintly examples my departed grandmothers, people I still miss, and you still hold in your hearts people like that, I would have to add to that – sometimes you are the ones who live in such a way that you remind me Christ lives and Christ comes close and Christ is still making His presence known and doing His work through people like you. And the reason we do what we do together is that, the church is in the business of producing and training saints. We are not perfect people – far from it. But we are people God has set apart, as God has set Himself apart from the world. We are people who try, more successfully on some days than on others, to live according to the values of the kingdom of God.

We believe in the communion of the saints. The reference in the Creed isn’t to the sacrament we call Holy Communion, but when we celebrate the Lord’s Supper, the Eucharist, this sacrament, when through faith we become one with Jesus Christ and renew our covenant with Him, we become one with all those who have gone before us, those we have loved and miss for now – they’re here with us now – and we are one with those who will come after, whose names we can’t know yet. We are surrounded, as the Letter to the Hebrews says, by a great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1). Like alumni who played the game a long time before, they are cheering us on. They see that the goal is in sight, and they know if we will be faithful and persevere, we can start to taste the victory even now.

PRAYER of INTERCESSION Death has been conquered in Jesus Christ. As the People of Life, we therefore intercede confidently for the living and the dead.

That we may be bound together by Your Holy Spirit, in communion with all your saints, entrusting one another and all our life to Christ: All: We lift up our hearts to you, O Lord.

The souls of the just are in the hand of God. May all who have died in the peace of Christ find eternal resurrection: All: We lift up our hearts to You, O Lord.

That as the faithful on earth, the souls in purgatory and the saints in heaven, we will recognize Jesus the Christ as our Redeemer and Lord: All: We lift up our hearts to You, O Lord.

That each of us will lead lives worthy of the name Christian: All: We lift up our hearts to you, O Lord.

LITANY Father, Source of All Being, have mercy on us. Jesus, the Eternal Word and our Redeemer, have mercy on us. Spirit Most Holy, our Counselor and Animator, have mercy on us.

Mary, beloved mother of Jesus, pray for us. Joseph, foster-father of the Christ, pray for us. John the Baptizer who preached repentance, pray for us. Martha and Mary, faithful friends of the Lord, pray for us. Joachim and Anne, grandparents of Jesus, pray for us. All you holy apostles and disciples of the Lord, pray for us. All you holy martyrs for the Lord throughout the ages, pray for us.

Saints Benedict, Augustine and Vincent de Paul, pray for us. Saints Dominic, Francis, Ignatius and John Baptist de La Salle, pray for us. Saints Louise de Marillac, Margaret Mary Alacoque, Faustina, and Therese of Liseux, pray for us. Saints Thomas Aquinas and Blessed John Duns Scotus, pray for us. Saints Aloysius Gonzaga and Maria Goretti, pray for us. Saint Isaac Jogues and Companions and Blessed Kateri Techawitha, pray for us. Saints Frances Cabrini, Jeanne Jugan, and Katherine Drexel, and Blessed Teresa of Calcutta, pray for us, Saints John Neumann and Damien of Molokai, and Padre Pio, pray for us. Saint Gianna Molla, Blessed Luis and Zilie Martin, Venerable Matt Talbot and Blessed Frederic Ozanam, pray for us. Saintly Brother Benilde, apostle of vocations, pray for us. Saintly Brother Miguel Cordero, scholar and teacher, pray for us. Saintly Brother Mutien Marie, example of kindness and piety, pray for us. Saintly Brother Jaime Hilario, martyr for the faith, pray for us.

Prayer

We rejoice and keep festival in honor of all the saints and all of our faithful departed. God our Father, source of all holiness, the work of Your hands is manifest in the souls of the just, the beauty of Your truth is reflected in their faith. May we who aspire to have part in their joy be filled with the spirit that blessed their lives, so that having shared their faith on earth may we also know their peace in Your kingdom. Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

HYMN: GLORY AND PRAISE TO OUR GOD Refrain Glory and praise to our God, Who alone gives light to our days. Many are the blessings He bears to those who trust in His ways. 1. We the daughters and sons of Him Who built the valleys and plains praise the wonders our God has done in every heart that sings. 2. In His wisdom He strengthens us, like gold that’s tested in fire. Though the power of sin prevails our God is there to save. 3. Every moment of every day our God is waiting to save, always ready to seek the lost, to answer those who pray. 4. God has watered our barren land and spent His merciful rain. Now the rivers of life run full for anyone to drink.

Blessing God is the glory and joy of all His saints, whose memory we celebrate today. May His blessing be with you always. R. Amen!

May the prayers of the saints deliver us from present evil. May their example of holy living turn our thoughts to service of God and neighbor. R. Amen!

God's holy Church rejoices that her saints have reached their heavenly goal, and are in lasting peace. May we come to share all the joys of our Father's house. R. Amen!

May almighty God bless us, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R. Amen!

“For this is the will of God, your sanctification.” 1 Thessalonians 4:3

Saint John Baptist de La Salle, and all you holy Brothers who have gone before us,

inspire us to lead holy and virtuous lives.

Live Jesus in our hearts. Forever!