Liturgy Guide
ALL SAINTS DAY

 

Sign of the Cross

Greeting
  

May God who has called us all to be saints
be with you all.

Introduction and Litany of Praise

The Feast of All Saints gives us the chance to rejoice with all the men, women and children we have known who have given glory to God and who brought joy into our world. We are comforted by their faith and their prayers; we are challenged by their example. Saintly people remind us that we too are called to holiness. (pause)

Lord, you make us holy
by helping us to be gentle and merciful in our dealing with others:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Lord, you make us holy
by helping us to be pure of heart and makers of peace:
Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, you make us holy
by awakening within us a hunger for what is good and true and right:
Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Opening Prayer

Option A
All-Holy God,
you call your people to holiness.
As we keep the festival of your saints,
give us their poverty of spirit,
a thirst for righteousness,
and purity of heart.
May we share with them the richness of your kingdom
and be clothed in your glory.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.

Option B
Poor in spirit and gentle of heart,
your Son, O God, came to live among us,
that we might hear the charter of your kingdom
and see those words made flesh in the way he lived and died.
As we celebrate the witness of all the saints
whose lives were shaped by the Beatitudes,
form us according to Christ's teaching
that, having shared in the communion of the saints on earth,
we might take our place among them
in the joy of your kingdom.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.

Liturgy of the Word

Homily

PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL

P       The Father has lavished his love on us, so we are the children of God.
          In union with the saints in heaven and the saints on earth, let us intercede
          with our Father for all our needs.

             With confidence we pray:

CM     Lord, hear our prayer. (Please repeat)

    1. For the peoples of every nation and language
      who look to Jesus as their Lord: (pause)
      that all may live their lives in the light of the beatitudes.
      We pray:
    2. For the gentle, the merciful, the peacemakers: (pause)
      that they may continue to flourish in our community,
      so that the love of God may be made manifest
      in the holiness of their lives.
      We pray:
    3. For all those who are suffering persecution
      because of their faith in Christ. (pause)
      May they be strengthened
      by the example and promises of Christ.

      We pray:
    4. On the eve of ALL SOULS DAY,
      we commend to you our friends
      and relations who have gone before us marked
      with the sign of faith. May they rejoice
      with the communion of saints for ever.
      We pray:

[The Presider may add a Petition that is local / relevant]

P    Lord God, we thank you for the great richness
      of your love which we see in the lives of the saints.
      May we always follow their example so that we will one day
      be able to join them in praising your name forever in paradise.
      We make our prayer through Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Prayer over the Gifts

Compassionate God,
look upon the face of Christ your Son
who gave his life to set us free.
Through him, may your name be praised among all peoples
from North to South, from East to West,
and everywhere may one sacrifice be offered to give you glory.
We ask this through Christ our Lord
. AMEN.

Preface

And now we give you thanks, most gracious God,
surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses
and glorified in the assembly of your saints.
The glorious company of apostles praise you.
The noble line of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
We, your holy church, acclaim you.
In communion with angels and archangels,
and with all those who have served you in every age
and worship you now in heaven,
we raise our voice to proclaim your glory,
forever praising you and saying / singing:

Holy, Holy, Holy ...

Invitation to the Lord’s Prayer

Option A
Because God's love has made us beloved children,
in the words of God's Son we dare to say:
Our Father ...

Option B
In fellowship with the saints, we turn to God and say:
Our Father ...

Deliver us Lord  

Deliver us, Lord, from every evil
and grant us peace in our day.
Let us weep with those who mourn,
hunger and thirst with those who seek what is right and just,
as we wait in joyful hope
for the coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Prayer for Peace

Lord Jesus Christ, you said to your disciples,
'Blessed are the peacemakers,
they shall be called the children of God.'

Grant Lord, that we will become instruments of your peace
and heralds of your kingdom,
where you live for ever and ever. AMEN

Exchange of Peace
Peacemakers shall be called children of God.
Let us then offer one another a sign of peace!

Optional Prayer to accompany the ‘Breaking of Bread’

P      May we become as this blessed bread, a blessed people,
        blessed and broken in the love and care of one another.
        We who eat of the same bread,
        are one in the body of Christ.

A     LAMB OF GOD.....

Invitation to Communion

Option A
This is Jesus, the Lamb of God,
who promises heaven to those
who try to live according to the values of the gospel.
Blessed, truly blessed,
are we who are invited to his banquet today.

Lord, I am not worthy…\

Option B
The holy gifts of God for the holy people of God.
Draw near with awe and faith, with praise and thanksgiving.

Lord, I am not worthy…

Prayer after Communion   

Faithful God,
you have refreshed our hope and joy
in this holy meal.
May you continue to bless the meek and the merciful,
those who hunger for justice
and those who are persecuted
because of the name of Jesus your Son,
who lives with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever. AMEN.

Solemn Blessing

May you be poor in spirit,
that the kingdom of God may be yours.
AMEN

May you be merciful,
that you may have mercy shown to you.
AMEN.

May you be blessed with purity of heart,
that you may see God. AMEN.


And may you rejoice always in the blessing of almighty God,
+ the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.

Dismissal     

Giving thanks to God
who has called us to share the inheritance of the saints in light,
go in peace to love and serve the Lord.
Thanks be to God.

Related Resources
 
Daily Scripture Readings
from the United States Conference
of Catholic Bishops
   www.usccb.org
Liturgy Alive
Models of Liturgical Celebration                         
  www.bible.claret.org/liturgy/
 
About the Author
Fr. Kevin McHugh
is a Columban Missionary from Ireland
who has served in the Philippines for many years.
He has devoted much of his time and efforts to make the liturgical participation
come alive in our Christian communities.

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