All Saints' Day

On Thursday, November 1, the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints. Instituted to honor all the saints, known and unknown, this celebration is an opportunity for the faithful to give thanks for the holy example of the saints in our lives today. Originating in the 4th c. Eastern Feast of All Martyrs, and attested to by St. Efrem (+373), Pope Gregory IV established this commemoration for all the Roman Church in 835. Originally celebrated on Easter Friday, it came to be held in Rome on May 13th; later, in the 9th century, it was transferred to November 1st, the date of its celebration in Ireland where it countered the Celtic pagan feast of the Druids.

The Feast of All Saints is one of the greatest of all the feasts because it celebrates what could have been impossible. The cross is a tree that bears fruit. This is the feast of its harvest. The celebrations of the mysteries in the life of Our Lord are glorious and there is no detracting from them. But He was God on earth. Aside from all the lofty things to be said about the saints and to the saints on this day, we want our children to understand in the marrow of their bones what the principal idea is: "We are so glad for you. Now pray, so we'll be there too!" And they must add to this and to every feast an endless: "Thank you, Lord Jesus, for making it possible."

Kyrie, eleison. Christe, eleison. Kyrie, eleison. Christe, audi nos. Christe, exaudi nos.
Pater de coelis Deus, .. miserere nobis.

Fili Redemptor mundi Deus, Spiritus sancte Deus, Sancta Trinitas unus Deus,
Sancta Maria, .. ora pro nobis.

Sancta Dei Genetrix, Sancta Virgo virginum, Sancte Michael, Sancte Gabriel, Sancte Raphaël, Omnes sancti Angeli, et Archangeli, Omnes sancti beatorum Spirituum ordines, Sancte Ioannes Baptista, Sancte Ioseph, Omnes sancti Patriarchae, et Prophetae, Sancte Petre, Sancte Paule, Sancte Andrea, Sancte Iacobe, Sancte Ioannes, Sancte Thoma, Sancte Iacobe, Sancte Philippe, Sancte Bartholomaee, Sancte Matthaee, Sancte Simon, Sancte Thaddaee, Sancte Mathia, Sancte Barnaba, Sancte Luca, Sancte Marce, Omnes sancti Apostoli, et Evangelistae, …. orate pro nobis.

Omnes sancti Discipuli Domini, Omnes sancti Innocentes, Sancte Stephane, .. ora pro nobis. Sancte Laurenti, Sancte Vincenti, Sancti Fabiane et Sebastiane, .. orate pro nobis.

Sancti Ioannes et Paule, Sancti Cosma et Damiane, Sancti Gervasi et Protasi, Omnes sancti Martyres, Sancte Silvester, .. ora pro nobis.

Sancte Gregori, Sancte Ambrosi, Sancte Augustine, Sancte Hieronyme, Sancte Martine, Sancte Nicolae, Omnes sancti Pontifices et Confessores, … orate pro nobis.

Omnes sancti Doctores, Sancte Antoni, .. ora pro nobis.

Sancte Benedicte, Sancte Bernarde, Sancte Dominice, Sancte Francisce, Omnes sancti Sacerdotes et Levitae, .. orate pro nobis.

Omnes sancti Monachi, et Eremitae, Sancta Maria Magdalena, .. ora pro nobis.

Sancta Agatha, Sancta Lucia, Sancta Agnes, Sancta Caecilia, Sancta Catharina, Sancta Anastasia, Omnes sanctae Virgines et Viduae, … orate pro nobis.

Omnes Sancti et Sanctae Dei, intercedite pro nobis.