Daily Feast All Hallow's Eve, or Halloween, is the vigil of All Saints (All Hallows) Day, which is a major feast on the liturgical calendar and a Holy Day of Obligation. Halloween (October 31st) is connected with All Saints Day (November 1st) and All Souls Day (November 2nd). These three days are the "Days of the Dead," a triduum also known as Allhallowtide or Hallowmas, reminding the faithful of the reality of heaven and hell; the communion of saints; and our obligation to pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory. † Quote of the Day On the feast of All Saints, Catholics attend Mass and pray to the saints for their powerful intervention. The Church supports and even encourages her pilgrim people to pray to the saints, since they – having already attained the Beatific Vision – are powerful intercessors. The Catechism of the Catholic Church reminds us, "They [saints] contemplate God, praise him and constantly care for those whom they have left on earth. […] Their intercession is their most exalted service to God's plan. We can and should ask them to intercede for us and for the whole world" (2683). | Saint of the Day St. Wolfgang (934-994 A.D.), also known as the Great Almoner, was a Benedictine monk, reformer, and Bishop of Regensburg, Bavaria. He was born into the noble class and had an excellent education. As bishop he worked to reform the monasteries and convents in his diocese. He is remembered for his teaching abilities, his oratory skills, and his charity towards the poor. He was also integral in the missionary efforts to evangelize the Magyars in what is today modern Hungary. Towards the end of his life he withdrew to a solitary spot to build a church and hermitage at what is now called St. Wolfgang's Lake in Austria. Before settling he prayed and threw his axe into the wilderness, and built his cell on the spot where it landed. A town grew around the saint's hermitage which still exists today. According to legend, St. Wolfgang tricked the devil into helping him build the church, promising him the first soul that came through the church doors. The devil agreed, and after the construction was completed, a wolf was the first to cross its threshold, thus tricking the devil. St. Wolfgang's life was foundational to Bavarian and Austrian civilization. Many miracles occurred at his tomb, especially those related to stomach ailments. St. Wolfgang is the patron saint of carpenters, stroke victims, and the paralyzed. His feast day is October 31st. | Solemnity of All Saints Reading 1 Rv 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,
holding the seal of the living God.
He cried out in a loud voice to the four angels
who were given power to damage the land and the sea,
"Do not damage the land or the sea or the trees
until we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."
I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,
one hundred and forty-four thousand marked
from every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I had a vision of a great multitude,
which no one could count,
from every nation, race, people, and tongue.
They stood before the throne and before the Lamb,
wearing white robes and holding palm branches in their hands.
They cried out in a loud voice: "Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne,
and from the Lamb." All the angels stood around the throne
and around the elders and the four living creatures.
They prostrated themselves before the throne,
worshiped God, and exclaimed: "Amen. Blessing and glory, wisdom and thanksgiving,
honor, power, and might
be to our God forever and ever. Amen." Then one of the elders spoke up and said to me,
"Who are these wearing white robes, and where did they come from?"
I said to him, "My lord, you are the one who knows."
He said to me,
"These are the ones who have survived the time of great distress;
they have washed their robes
and made them white in the Blood of the Lamb." Responsorial Psalm Ps 24:1bc-2, 3-4ab, 5-6 R. (see 6) Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
The LORD's are the earth and its fullness;
the world and those who dwell in it.
For he founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
Who can ascend the mountain of the LORD?
or who may stand in his holy place?
One whose hands are sinless, whose heart is clean,
who desires not what is vain.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.
He shall receive a blessing from the LORD,
a reward from God his savior.
Such is the race that seeks him,
that seeks the face of the God of Jacob.
R. Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. Reading 2 1 Jn 3:1-3 Beloved:
See what love the Father has bestowed on us
that we may be called the children of God.
Yet so we are.
The reason the world does not know us
is that it did not know him.
Beloved, we are God's children now;
what we shall be has not yet been revealed.
We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him,
for we shall see him as he is.
Everyone who has this hope based on him makes himself pure,
as he is pure. Alleluia Mt 11:28 R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened,
And I will give you rest, says the Lord.
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel Mt 5:1-12a When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain,
and after he had sat down, his disciples came to him.
He began to teach them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
for they will inherit the land.
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they will be satisfied.
Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven." | Daily Meditation: Psalm 24:1-6 Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face. (Psalm Response) We begin this month by celebrating all the saints who live in the presence of God and behold the Lord in his glory. And as we remember them, our desire for heaven increases. As St. Bernard once wrote, "Calling the saints to mind inspires . . . a longing to enjoy their company, . . . to join in the citizenship of heaven." So we proclaim with the psalmist, "Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face" (Psalm Response). "Father in heaven, all the saints bow down and adore you. They see you face-to-face and rejoice in your saving love. They trusted in your mercy, and now they are experiencing what we still hope for. Gracious Father, you have given us everything, even your own beloved Son! We put our faith in your promise of eternal life. We lift our hearts to heaven and cry out with your saints, Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face! "Jesus, our Savior! You are the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Day and night, the saints worship you! They rejoice because you have clothed them in white robes washed clean by your own precious blood (Revelation 7:14). We struggle and fall, but like the saints, we put our hope in you. We long to behold your glory. Even now, we join them in crying out to you, Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face! "Holy Spirit, Sanctifier and Helper, you made your saints holy by the fire of your love. By your grace, they were faithful to your call and laid down their lives for your people. Come Spirit, pour your gifts upon us so that, like the saints, we might walk in your ways. Purify our hearts and form us more and more into the image of Jesus. Make us holy, that we might join with your saints and with one voice proclaim, "Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face!" Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14
1 John 3:1-3
Matthew 5:1-12 | Reflections with Brother Adrian: |  Click to hear Audio | In the Holy Scripture we hear today:
"Blessed are the merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the clean of heart,
for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are they who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when they insult you and persecute you
and utter every kind of evil against you falsely because of me.
Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven."....." end quote. | From Bishop Barron:
"Friends, our Gospel for today is one of the most beautiful and important in the New Testament: the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, the eight Beatitudes. Why is it so important? Because it is the Son of God telling us how to be happy. It is the one who can't be wrong telling us how to achieve that which each of us most basically wants. What could be more compelling?
At the heart of Jesus' program are these Beatitudes: "Blessed are the merciful" and "Blessed are the peacemakers." These name the very heart of the spiritual program, for they name the ways that we participate most directly in the divine life.
One of the most important words to describe God in the Old Testament is chesed (tender mercy). The New Testament version of this is found in the First Letter of John: God is agape (love). Everything else we say about God should be seen as an aspect of this chesed and this agape. Chesed is compassion; agape is willing the good of the other. Therefore, if you want to be happy, desire to be like God. Do it and you'll be happy.
...." end quote Bishop Barron.
From a Spanish reflection:
"All saints are original. They were not born flawless, of course, but they believed in the originality of God, who promises his Kingdom to the helpless and the humble. The saints are original, men and women who walk backwards, because the Beatitudes have no other purpose than to turn the world upside down.
There are the well-known saints, but there are also all the others, those who did not receive the title of fairy tales and who, without a doubt, would have to endure a long and costly process of canonization. But what does it matter? The fact is that God loves them, and their holiness lies precisely in having believed in that love; against the current, they reinvented love and bore witness to a new world. They are hardly spoken of, but God thanks them for it in his eternity. Isn't that what holiness is: God who thanks you for having believed in him?
The beatitude of holiness! Blessed is he who forgives without harboring resentment, who absolves without listening to the plea, who smiles at life, even when the morning is unpleasant. Blessed is the pure heart, whose crystals are not clouded by the contaminations that threaten life. We must not say: "I am not a saint," because the only thing God wants to give us is holiness; it is better to let God do it, because we are too clumsy... Let us have eyes to see the love with which God loves us... and let us let him do it! Holiness is known in the transparent face, overflowing with the peace that springs from the heart. "When we see the Lord, we will be like him" ... Holiness is this: tell me who you look at and I will tell you what your holiness is! Unfortunately, many have a face of disappointment, because they only look at themselves." End Quote from
marcel bastÃn.
In our priest's homily today at the nursing home, he said we can all be saints, we should all be saints, and we can do all things through Christ our Lord. But do we want to be saints? I look around and everyone just seemed to agree, nodding their heads, but do we really want to be saints? All the ducks are told they can fly in their duck world, and they all say "AMEN!" and they all walk home. LOL
Last night, we saw hundreds in neighborhoods going house to house for halloween, but I don't remember seeing many dressed as saints of the past. Where are the saints of the future? They are reading and living as saints today. This is where it begins.
It is honorable to have a holy day of obligation today for all the saints.
And I love how another spanish reflection titled it as the "Anonymous" saints day.
The Holy Church knows there are unknown saints. What you are doing, in your heart, in your part of the world can only be recognized by God and His angels. And this very well may have as much worth as the well recognized saints we hear about.
I just told my students that we are to be saints, backwards from the world. Do we love God? "Yes!" we say. Would you tithe 10% of your life to Him? "Yes!" they say. How about 100% of your life? Would you give Him all of your life? And the students looked pensive. And this is good.
I want you to start thinking and acting and living like a saint.
Why? Because we are created in God's image. Holy. We have all it takes already inside, each and every one of us baptized souls.
The Lord knows the kindling is there, ready for the fire of God's love. All Saints in Heave, Pray for us! |  audio | Random Bible Verse 1
Proverbs 17:22 22 A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. | If one day you don't receive these, just visit Going4th.com
God Bless You! Peace | | |
