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Traditional Catholic Sacrifice of the Holy Latin Mass on Halloween Night
Faith Facts: All Hallows' Eve
Be Not Afraid: The Surprisingly Holy Origins of Halloween

Hallowe'en (with facts and recipes)
How Halloween Can Be Redeemed (from Catholic Update)
History of Halloween
Bishops’ Halloween Advice: Dress Children Up as Saints, Not Witches
Halloween (CNA Video)
All Hallows' Eve
Celebrating 'All Hallows Eve' and the 'Feast of All Saints' in a Pre-Christian West
Halloween Prayers: Prayers and Collects for All Hallows Eve
Holiday Hysteria (a Christian defense of Halloween)
Hallowe'en - Eve of All Saints - Suggestions for Reclaiming this Christian Feast

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From: Revelation 7:2-4, 9-14

The Great Multitude of the Saved

[2] Then I (John) saw another angel ascend from the rising of the sun,
with the seal of the living God, and he called with a loud voice to the
four angels who had been given power to harm earth and sea, [3]
saying, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, till we have
sealed the servants of our God upon their foreheads.” [4] And I heard
the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed,
out of every tribe of the sons of Israel.

[9] After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no man
could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and
tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in
white robes, with palm branches in their hands, [10] and crying out
with a loud voice, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits upon the
throne, and to the Lamb!” [11] And all the angels stood round the
throne and round the elders and the four living creatures, and they
fell on their faces before the throne and worshipped God, [12] saying,
“Amen! Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honor
and power and might be to our God for ever and ever! Amen.”

[13] Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, “Who are these,
clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?” [14] I said to
him, “Sir, you know.” And he said to me, “These are they who have
come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and
made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-17. This chapter consists of two visions designed to illustrate God’s
protection of Christians and the happy circumstances of the martyrs.
The victory of the Church is depicted—of the entire Church, made up of
people from the four points of the compass (vv. 9-12). What is not so
clear, however, is who the one hundred and fort four thousand are,
drawn from the twelve tribes of Israel, whom an angel has marked with
the seal of the living God (vv. 1-8). Some commentators interpret them
as all being Christians of Jewish background (Judaeo-Christians).
Others say that they are those who make up the new Israel which St
Paul speaks about in Galatians 6:17; that is, all the baptized viewed
first as still engaged in their battle (vv. 1-8) and then after they have
won victory (vv. 9-17). The most plausible interpretation is that the one
hundred and forty four thousand stand for the Jews converted to
Christianity (as distinct from those not converted)—the ‘remnant of
Israel’ (cf. Is 4:2-4; Ezek 9; etc.). St Paul says that they prove the
irrevocable nature of God’s election (cf. Rom 1l:1-5) and are the
first-fruits of the restoration which will come about at the End (cf.
Rom 11:25-32).

The hundred and forty-four thousand are included in the second vision;
they would be part of the great multitude “from all tribes and people
and tongues”. Thus, the vision in vv. 9-17 takes in the entire Church
without any distinctions, whereas the vision in vv. 1-8 can refer only
to a part of the Church—those Jews who, by becoming Christians,
made up the original nucleus of the Church. The Church admits these
on the same basis as all those who become Christians later without
having had to pass through any stage of Jewish observance.

1-8. In Jewish tradition angels were divided into two groups—angels of
the Presence and sanctification, and those charged with controlling the
forces of nature. Both kinds appear in this passage.

According to the custom of the time, when something bore the mark
of a seal or brand that meant that it belonged to the seal’s owner. This
passage is saying that the one hundred and forty four thousand belong
to God and therefore will be protected by him as his property. This
fulfills what Ezekiel prophesied about the inhabitants of Jerusalem (cf.
Ezek 9:1-7): some would be sealed on the forehead with a tax (the last
letter of the Hebrew alphabet) and would therefore escape the punish-
ment to be inflicted on all the rest: this shows the special way God
makes provision for those who are his not only because he created
them but also by a new title.

The Fathers of the Church saw this mark as symbolizing the character
Baptism impresses on the souls of the faithful to show that they are
destined for eternal life. Thus, the persons preserved from harm are
the Jews who were converts to Christianity: their Baptism marked them
out from those Jews who rejected Christ and were not baptized.

The list of tribes is somewhat different from the usual list which
keeps the order of Genesis 29. The name of Judah is put first because
the Messiah came from that tribe, as St John recently mentioned (cf.
5:5); and there is no mention of the tribe of Dan, presumably because
it fell into idolatry (cf. Judg 17-18) and eventually disappeared. To make
up the tally of twelve the tribe of Joseph is mentioned twice—as that of
Joseph and as that of Manasseh, his first-born.

The number of those sealed (12 x 12 x 1000) symbolizes completeness,
totality—in this instance, a huge multitude, depicted as the new Israel.
Included in this number are the descendants of Jacob who receive
Baptism, irrespective of when they do. Obviously this number is not
meant to be taken literally, as if only one hundred and forty-four thou-
sand people will attain salvation. In this scene all those of Gentile back-
ground who become Christians over the course of history are explicitly
not included. They will appear in the vision which follows.

9-17. Pope John Paul II has commented on this passage as follows:
“The people dressed in white robes whom John sees with his prophetic
eye are the redeemed, and they form a ‘great multitude’, which no one
could count and which is made up of people of the most varied back-
grounds. The blood of the Lamb, who has been offered in sacrifice for
all, has exercised its universal and most effective redemptive power in
every corner of the earth, extending grace and salvation to that ‘great
multitude’. After undergoing the trials and being purified in the blood of
Christ, they—the redeemed—are now safe in the Kingdom of God, whom
they praise and bless for ever and ever” (”Homily”, 1 November 1981).
This great crowd includes all the saved and not just the martyrs, for
it says that they washed their robes in the blood of the Lamb, not in
their own blood.

Everyone has to become associated with Christ’s passion through suf-
fering, as St Augustine explains, not without a certain humor: “Many
are martyrs in their beds. The Christian is lying on his couch, tormen-
ted by pain. He prays and his prayers are not heard, or perhaps they
are heard but he is being put to the test...so that he may be received
as a son. He becomes a martyr through illness and is crowned by him
who hung upon the Cross” (”Sermon” 286, 8).

“It is consoling and encouraging to know that those who attain heaven
constitute a huge multitude. The passages of Matthew 7:14 and Luke
13:24 which seem to imply that very few will be saved should be inter-
preted in the light of this vision, which shows that the infinite value of
Christ’s blood makes God’s will be done: “(God) desires all men to be
saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:4).

In vv 14-17 we see the blessed in two different situations—first, before
the resurrection of the body (v. 14) and, then, after it, when body and
soul have been reunited (vv. 15-17). In this second situation the nature
of risen bodies is highlighted: they cannot suffer pain or inconvenience
of any kind: they are out of harm’s reach; they have the gift of “impassi-
bility” (cf. “St Pius V Catechism”, I, 12, 13).

This consoling scene is included in the vision to encourage believers
to imitate those Christians who were like us and now find themselves
in heaven because they have come through victorious. The Church
invites us to pray along similar lines: “Father, you sanctified the Church
of Rome with the blood of its first martyrs. May we find strength from
their courage and rejoice in their triumph” (”Roman Missal”, Feast of
the First Martyrs of the Church of Rome, opening prayer).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: 1 John 3:1-3

We are Children of God

[1] 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. [2] 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.

A Child of God Does Not Sin

[3] And every one who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he is pure.

*********************************************************************************************
Commentary:

1-24. This entire chapter shows how moved the Apostle is when he contemplates
the marvelous gift of divine filiation. The Holy Spirit, who is the author of all Sa-
cred Scripture, has desired John to pass on to us this unique revelation: we are
children of God (v. 1).

It is not easy to divide the chapter into sections, because the style is very cyclic
and colloquial and includes many repetitions and further thoughts which make for
great vividness and freshness. However, we can distinguish an opening proclama-
tion of the central message (vv. 1-2) and emphasis on two requirements of divine
filiation — rejection of sin in any shape or form (vv. 3-10), and brotherly love lived
to the full (vv. 11-24).

1. “We should be called children of God”: the original Hebrew expression, which
reads “we are called...”, is also used by our Lord in the Beatitudes (cf. Mt 5:9):
“to be called” means the same as “to be called by God”; and in the language of
the Bible, when God gives someone a name he is not simply conferring a title but
is causing the thing that the name indicates (cf., e.g., Gen 17:5), for the word of
God is efficacious, it does what it says it will do. Hence St John’s adding: “and
so we are”.

Therefore, it is not just a matter of a metaphorical title, or a legal fiction, or adop-
tion human-style: divine filiation is an essential feature of a Christian’s life, a mar-
velous fact whereby God gratuitously gives men a strictly supernatural dignity, an
intimacy with God whereby they are “domestici Dei”, “members of the household
of God” (Eph 2:19). This explains the tone of amazement and joy with which St
John passes on this revelation.

This sense of divine filiation is one of the central points in the spirituality of Opus
Dei. Its founder wrote: “We do not exist in order to pursue just any happiness.
We have been called to penetrate the intimacy of God’s own life, to know and
love God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and to love also — in
that same love of the one God in three divine Persons — the angels and all men.

“This is the great boldness of the Christian faith — to proclaim the value and dig-
nity of human nature and to affirm that we have been created to obtain the digni-
ty of children of God, through the grace that raises us up to a supernatural level.
An incredible boldness it would be, were it not founded on the promise of salva-
tion given us by God the Father, confirmed by the blood of Christ, and reaffirmed
and made possible by the constant action of the Holy Spirit” (”Christ Is Passing
By”, 133).

“The world does not know us, (because) it did not know him”: these words are
reminiscent of our Lord’s at the Last Supper: “the hour is coming when whoever
kills you will think he is offering service to God. And they will do this because
they have not known the Father, nor me” (Jn 16:2-3). Divine filiation brings with
it communion and a mysterious identification between Christ and the Christian.

2. The indescribable gift of divine filiation, which the world does not know (v. 1),
is not fully experienced by Christians, because the seeds of divine life which it
contains will only reach their full growth in eternal life, when we see him “as he
is”, “face to face” (1 Cor 13:12); “this is eternal life, that they know thee the only
true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent” (Jn 17:3). In that direct sight
of God as he is, and of all things in God, the life of grace and divine filiation
achieve their full growth. Man is not naturally able to see God face to face; he
needs to be enlightened by a special light, which is given the technical theologi-
cal name of “lumen gloriae”, light of glory. This does not allow him to “take in”
all God (no created thing could do that), but it does allow him to look at God di-
rectly.

Commenting on this verse, the “St Pius V Catechism” explains that “beatitude
consists of two things — that we shall behold God such as he is in his own na-
ture and substance; and that we ourselves shall become, as it were, gods. For
those who enjoy God while they retain their own nature, assume a certain admi-
rable and almost divine form, so as to seem gods rather than men” (I, 13, 7).

“When he appears”: two interpretations are possible, given that in Greek the verb
has no subject: “when (what we shall be) is revealed we shall be as he is”; or, as
the New Vulgate translates it, “when he (Christ) is revealed we will be like him
(Christ)”. The second interpretation is the more likely.

3. “Purifies himself’: Christian hope, which is grounded on Christ, is something
active and it moves the Christian to “purify himself”. This verb is evocative of the
ritual purifications required of priests in the Old Testament prior to engaging in
divine service (cf. Ex 19:10; Num 8:21; Acts 21:24); here, and in other places
in the New Testament, it means interior purification from sins, that is, righteous-
ness, holiness (1 Pet 1:22; Jas 4:8). Our model is Jesus Christ, “as he is pure”;
he is the One who has never had sin, the Righteous One (1 Jn 2: 29; 3:7); a
Christian has no other model of holiness, as Jesus himself said: “Learn from me”
(Mt 11:29; cf. Jn 14:6). “We have to learn from him, from Jesus, who is our only
model. If you want to go forward without stumbling or wandering off the path, then
all you have to do is walk the road he walked, placing your feet in his footprints
and entering into his humble and patient Heart, there to drink from the wellsprings
of his commandments and of his love. In a word, you must identify yourself with
Jesus Christ and try to become really and truly another Christ among your fellow
men” (St. J. Escriva, “Friends of God”, 128).

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

From: Matthew 5:1-12a

The Beatitudes

[1] Seeing the crowds, He (Jesus) went up on the mountain, and when
He sat down His disciples came to Him. [2] And He opened His mouth
and taught them, saying: [3] “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the Kingdom of Heaven. [4] Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall
be comforted. [5] Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
[6] Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they
shall be satisfied. [7] Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain
mercy. [8] Blessed are the pure of heart, for they shall see God. [9]
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God.
[10] Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for
theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. [11] Blessed are you when men revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on
My account. [12] Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in
Heaven.”

***********************************************************************
Commentary:

1. The Discourse, or Sermon, on the Mount takes up three full chapters
of St. Matthew’s Gospel—Chapters 5-7. It is the first of the five great
discourses of Jesus which appear in this Gospel and it contains a con-
siderable amount of our Lord’s teaching.

It is difficult to reduce this discourse to one single theme, but the va-
rious teachings it contains could be said to deal with these five points:
1) the attitude a person must have for entering the Kingdom of Heaven
(the Beatitudes, the salt of the earth, the light of the world, Jesus and
His teaching, the fullness of the Law); 2) uprightness of intention in
religious practice (here the “Our Father” would be included); 3) trust
in God’s fatherly providence; 4) how God’s children should behave
towards one another (not judging one’s neighbor, respect for holy
things, the effectiveness of prayer, and the golden rule of charity); 5)
the conditions for entering the Kingdom (the narrow gate, false pro-
phets and building on rock).

“He taught them”: this refers both to the disciples and to the multitude,
as can be seen at the end of the Sermon (Matthew 7:28).

2. The Beatitudes (5:3-12) form, as it were, the gateway to the Sermon
on the Mount. In order to understand the Beatitudes properly, we
should bear in mind that they do not promise salvation only to the par-
ticular kinds of people listed here: they cover everyone whose religious
dispositions and moral conduct meet the demands which Jesus lays
down. In other words, the poor in spirit, the meek, those who mourn,
those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure
in heart, the peacemakers and those who suffer persecution in their
search for holiness—these are not different people or kinds of people
but different demands made on everyone who wants to be a disciple
of Christ.

Similarly, salvation is not being promised to different groups in
society but to everyone, no matter what his or her position in life,
who strives to follow the spirit and to meet the demands contained in
the Beatitudes.

All the Beatitudes have an eschatological meaning, that is, they pro-
mise us definitive salvation not in this world, but in the next. But the
spirit of the Beatitudes does give us, in this life, peace in the midst of
tribulation. The Beatitudes imply a completely newapproach, quite at
odds with the usual way man evaluates things: they rule out any kind
of pharisaical religiosity, which regards earthly happiness as a blessing
from God and a reward for good behavior, and unhappiness and misfor-
tune as a form of punishment. In all ages the Beatitudes put spiritual
goods on a much higher plane than material possessions. The healthy
and the sick, the powerful and the weak, the rich and the poor—all are
called, independently of their circumstances, to the deep happiness
that is experienced by those who live up to the Beatitudes which Jesus
teaches.

The Beatitudes do not, of course, contain the entire teaching of the
Gospel, but they do contain, in embryo, the whole program of Christian
perfection.

3. This text outlines the connection between poverty and the soul. This
religious concept of poverty was deeply rooted in the Old Testament
(cf., e.g., Zephaniah 2:3ff). It was more to do with a religious attitude
of neediness and of humility towards God than with material poverty:
that person is poor who has recourse to God without relying on his own
merits and who trusts in God’s mercy to be saved. his religious attitude
of poverty is closely related to what is called “spiritual childhood”. A
Christian sees himself as a little child in the presence of God, a child
who owns nothing: everything he has comes from God and belongs to
God. Certainly, spiritual poverty, that is, Christian poverty, means one
must be detached from material things and practice austerity in using
them. God asks certain people—religious—to be legally detached from
ownership and thereby bear witness to others of the transitoriness of
earthly things.

4. “Those who mourn”: here our Lord is saying that those are blessed
who suffer from any kind of affliction—particularly those who are gen-
uinely sorry for they sins, or are pained by the offenses which others
offer God, and who bear their suffering with love and in a spirit of
atonement.

“You are crying? Don’t be ashamed of it. Yes, cry: men also cry like
you, when they are alone and before God. Each night, says King David,
I soak my bed with tears. With those tears, those burning manly tears,
you can purify your past and supernaturalize your present life”
([St] J. Escriva, “The Way”, 216).

The Spirit of God will console with peace and joy, even in this life,
those who weep for their sins, and later will give them a share in the
fullness of happiness and glory in Heaven: these are the blessed.

5. “The meek”: those who patiently suffer unjust persecution; those
who remain serene, humble and steadfast in adversity, and do not give
way to resentment or discouragement. The virtue of meekness is very
necessary in the Christian life. Usually irritableness, which is very
common, stems from a lack of humility and interior peace.

“The earth”: this is usually understood as meaning our Heavenly
Fatherland.

6. The notion of righteousness (or justice) in Holy Scripture is an es-
sen tially religious one (cf. notes on Matthew 1:19 and 3:15; Romans
1:17; 1:18-32; 3:21-22 and 24). A righteous person is one who sin-
cerely strives to do the Will of God, which is discovered in the com-
mandments, in one’s duties of state in life (social, professional and
family responsibilities) and through one’s life of prayer. Thus,
righteousness, in the language of the Bible, is the same as what nowa-
days is usually called “holiness” (1 John 2:29; 3:7-10; Revelation 22:11;
Genesis 15:6; Deuteronomy 9:4).

As St. Jerome comments (”Comm. on Matthew”, 5, 6), in the fourth
Beatitude our Lord is asking us not simply to have a vague desire for
righteousness: we should hunger and thirst for it, that is, we should
love and strive earnestly to seek what makes a man righteous in God’s
eyes. A person who genuinely wants to attain Christian holiness
should love the means which the Church, the universal vehicle of sal-
vation, offers all men and teaches them to use—frequent use of the
Sacraments, an intimate relationship with God in prayer, a valiant effort
to meet one’s social, professional and family responsibilities.

7. Mercy is not a just a matter of giving alms to the poor but also of
being understanding towards other people’s defects, overlooking them,
helping them cope with them and loving them despite whatever defects
they may have. Being merciful also means rejoicing and suffering with
other people.

8. Christ teaches us that the source of the quality of human acts lies in
the heart, that is, in a man’s soul, in the depths of his spirit. “When we
speak of a person’s heart, we refer not just to his sentiments, but to the
whole person in his loving dealings with others. In order to help us un-
derstand divine things, Scripture uses the expression `heart’ in its full
human meaning, as the summary and source, expression and ultimate
basis, of one’s thoughts, words and actions. A man is worth what his
heart is worth” ([St] J. Escriva, “Christ Is Passing By”, 164).

Cleanness of heart is a gift of God, which expresses itself in a capacity
to love, in having an upright and pure attitude to everything noble. As
St. Paul says, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just,
whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any
excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these
things” (Philippians 4:8). Helped by God’s grace, a Christian should
constantly strive to cleanse his heart and acquire this purity, whose
reward is the vision of God.

9. The translation “peacemakers” well convey the active meaning of the
original text—those who foster peace, in themselves and in others and,
as a basis for that, try to be reconciled and to reconcile others with
God. Being at peace with God is the cause and effect of every kind of
peace. Any peace on earth not based on this divine peace would be
vain and misleading.

“They shall be called sons of God”: this is an Hebraicism often found
in Sacred Scripture; it is the same as saying “they will be sons of God”.
St. John’s first letter (3:1) provides a correct exegesis of this Beatitude:
“See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called chil-
dren of God; and so we are”.

10. What this Beatitude means, then, is: blessed are those who are
persecuted because they are holy, or because they are striving to be
holy, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Thus, blessed is he who suffers persecution for being true to Jesus
Christ and who does so not only patiently but joyfully. Circumstances
arise in a Christian’s life that call for heroism—where no compromise
is admissible: either one stays true to Jesus Christ whatever the cost
in terms of reputation, life or possessions, or one denies Him. St.
Bernard (”Sermon on the Feast of All Saints”) says that the eighth
Beatitude is as it were the prerogative of Christian martyrs. Every
Christian who is faithful to Jesus’ teaching is in fact a “martyr” (a
witness) who reflects or acts according with this Beatitude, even if he
does not undergo physical death.

11-12. The Beatitudes are the conditions Jesus lays down for entering
the Kingdom of Heaven. This verse, in a way summing up the prece-
ding ones, is an invitation to everyone to put this teaching into practice.
The Christian life, then, is no easy matter, but it is worthwhile, given
the reward that Jesus promises.

*********************************************************************************************
Source: “The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries”. Biblical text from the
Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of
the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.

Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and
by Scepter Publishers in the United States.

Readings at Mass

First reading

Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14 ©

I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

Psalm

Psalm 23:1-6 ©

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,

the world and all its peoples.

It is he who set it on the seas;

on the waters he made it firm.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who shall stand in his holy place?

The man with clean hands and pure heart,

who desires not worthless things.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord

and reward from the God who saves him.

Such are the men who seek him,

seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Second reading

1 John 3:1-3 ©

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,

by letting us be called God’s children;

and that is what we are.

Because the world refused to acknowledge him,

therefore it does not acknowledge us.

My dear people, we are already the children of God

but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;

all we know is, that when it is revealed

we shall be like him

because we shall see him as he really is.

Surely everyone who entertains this hope

must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

Gospel Acclamation

Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened

and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

Gospel

Matthew 5:1-12 ©

Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy the gentle:

they shall have the earth for their heritage.

Happy those who mourn:

they shall be comforted.

Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:

they shall be satisfied.

Happy the merciful:

they shall have mercy shown them.

Happy the pure in heart:

they shall see God.

Happy the peacemakers:

they shall be called sons of God.

Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you

and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account.

Rejoice and be glad,

for your reward will be great in heaven.’

Pope Francis: The Communion of Saints Is a "Solidarity Between Heaven and Earth" [weekly audience
On Mary, Model of Faith, Charity and Union with Christ [Weekly Audience]
Audience: Pope continues catechesis on Church as our Mother
The Light of Faith (Lumen Fidei)[Catholic Caucus]

Year of Faith: Does God Command Evil Actions in the Bible? Part II (Part I linked
Francis "Lights" Up – Pope's First Encyclical Due Friday
Pope: Homily at Mass for Evangelium Vitae Day [full text]
Adoration with Pope energizing Catholics worldwide
Parishes Worldwide Prepare for Eucharistic Adoration Hour (June 2 at 11 am ET)
Pope [Francis] at Pentecost: Newness, harmony and mission
Audience: Do not be ‘part-time’ Christians
Pope Francis: Regina caeli
Pope to welcome 70,000 youths, confirm 44 (this Sunday) [Catholic Caucus]
Pope Francis’ General Audience focused on women. Feminists aren’t going to be happy

Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio's "Letter On the Year of Faith" (Crossing Threshold of Faith)
Pope Francis – the real deal – has Audience with Cardinals
Benedict XVI's Final General Audience
On Ash Wednesday
On God As Creator of Heaven and Earth
On Abraham's Faith
On Christ As Mediator Between God and Man
On the Incarnation
On God the Almighty Father
Year of Faith: Indulgences and Places of Pilgrimage [Ecumenical]
On the Identity of Jesus

On the Faith of Mary, the Virgin Mother of Christ
Father Cantalamessa's 1st Advent Sermon (Catholic Caucus)
On The Unfolding of God's Self-Revelation
On the Beauty of God's Plan of Salvation
On Bearing Witness to the Christian Faith
On the Splendor of God's Truth
On the Knowledge of God
Archbishop Chaput says Year of Faith holds solution to relativism
Following the Truth: The Year Of Faith – 10 Things You Should Know [Catholic Caucus]
Papal Encyclical on Faith Announced

On the Desire for God
On the Ecclesial Nature of Faith
On the Nature of Faith
Catechism's benefits explained for Year of Faith (Catholic Caucus)
A Life of Faith: Papal Theologian Speaks on the Grace of Faith
ASIA/LAOS - "Year of Faith" amid the persecutions of Christians forced to become "animists"
From no faith to a mountain-top of meaning: Father John Nepil (Catholic Caucus)
Living the Year of Faith: How Pope Benedict Wants You to Begin [Catholic Caucus]
Share Your Faith in This Year of Faith: Two keys to help you do it.
On A New Series of Audiences for The Year of Faith

Pope will deliver year-long teaching series on restoring faith
Pope Benedict XVI Grants Plenary Indulgence to Faithful [Catholic Caucus]
Pope, at Marian shrine, entrusts Year of Faith, synod to Mary (Catholic Caucus)
Catholic Church Calls for Public Prayers in Offices on Fridays
Highlights in the Plan for Year of Faith: Traditional Events Will Take on Special Perspective
Catholic Church calls for public prayers in offices on Fridays
Vatican Unveils Logo for Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Miami Prelate Recalls Pope's Visit to Cuba, Looks to Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
The World-Changing Year of Faith [Catholic Caucus]
Vatican to Issue Recommendations for Celebrating Year of Faith

40 Days for Life runs [September 25] through November 3 in 306 cities

Perpetual Novena for the Nation (Ecumenical)

Prayers for The Religion Forum (Ecumenical)

Jesus, High Priest

We thank you, God our Father, for those who have responded to your call to priestly ministry.

Accept this prayer we offer on their behalf: Fill your priests with the sure knowledge of your love.

Open their hearts to the power and consolation of the Holy Spirit.

Lead them to new depths of union with your Son.

Increase in them profound faith in the Sacraments they celebrate as they nourish, strengthen and heal us.

Lord Jesus Christ, grant that these, your priests, may inspire us to strive for holiness by the power of their example, as men of prayer who ponder your word and follow your will.

O Mary, Mother of Christ and our mother, guard with your maternal care these chosen ones, so dear to the Heart of your Son.

Intercede for our priests, that offering the Sacrifice of your Son, they may be conformed more each day to the image of your Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saint John Vianney, universal patron of priests, pray for us and our priests

This icon shows Jesus Christ, our eternal high priest.

The gold pelican over His heart represents self-sacrifice.

The border contains an altar and grapevines, representing the Mass, and icons of Melchizedek and St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney.

Melchizedek: king of righteousness (left icon) was priest and king of Jerusalem. He blessed Abraham and has been considered an ideal priest-king.

St. Jean-Baptiste Vianney is the patron saint of parish priests.

Pray a Rosary each day for our nation.

Pray the Rosary

1. Sign of the Cross: In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

2. The Apostles Creed: I BELIEVE in God, the Father almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, and in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty; from there He shall come to judge the living and the dead.

I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.

3. The Lord's Prayer: OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.

4. (3) Hail Mary: HAIL Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and in the hour of our death. Amen. (Three times)

5. Glory Be: GLORY be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Fatima Prayer: Oh, my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, lead all souls to heaven, especially those in most need of your mercy.

Announce each mystery, then say 1 Our Father, 10 Hail Marys, 1 Glory Be and 1 Fatima prayer. Repeat the process with each mystery.

End with the Hail Holy Queen:

Hail, Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve! To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears! Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy towards us; and after this, our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus!

O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary! Pray for us, O holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

Final step -- The Sign of the Cross

The Mysteries of the Rosary

By tradition, Catholics meditate on these Mysteries during prayers of the Rosary.
The biblical references follow each of the Mysteries below.

The Luminous Mysteries or Mysteries of Light
(Thursdays) see Rosarium Virginis Mariae
1. Jesus' Baptism in the Jordan (II Corinthians 5:21, Matthew 3:17 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Gratitude for the gift of Faith]
2. Jesus' self-manifestation at the wedding of Cana (John 2:1- 12) [Spiritual fruit - Fidelity]
3. Jesus' proclamation of the Kingdom of God, with His call to conversion (Mark 1:15, Mark 2:3-13; Luke 7:47- 48, John 20:22-23) [Spiritual fruit - Desire for Holiness]
4. Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35 and parallels) [Spiritual fruit - Spiritual Courage]
5. Jesus' institution of the Eucharist, as the sacramental expression of the Paschal Mystery. (Luke 24:13-35 and parallels, 1 Corinthians 11:24-25) [Spiritual fruit - Love of our Eucharistic Lord]

Holy Day of Obligation

US Conference of Catholic Bishops -
Canon 1246 - Sundays & Holy Days

[Note: following are the complementary norms and subsequent decisions on Canon 1246 by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) - concerning the Holy Days of Obligation to be observed in Churches in the US.]

ß1: Sunday is the day on which the paschal mystery is celebrated in light of the apostolic tradition and is to be observed as the foremost holy day of obligation in the universal Church. Also to be observed are the day of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Epiphany, the Ascension and the Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ, Holy Mary Mother of God and her Immaculate Conception and Assumption, Saint Joseph, the Apostles Saints Peter and Paul, and finally, All Saints.

ß2: However, the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See.

Complementary Norm: In accord with canon 1246, the National Conference of Catholic Bishops decrees that the holy days of obligation to be observed in the United States are the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God; the Solemnity of the Ascension; the Solemnity of the Assumption; the Solemnity of All Saints; the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception; the Solemnity of Christmas. The Solemnity of the Epiphany shall be transferred to the first Sunday following January 1; the Solemnity of Corpus Christi shall be observed on the second Sunday following Pentecost.

Approved: General Meeting, November 1983

Reviewed: Holy See (Congregation for Clergy), Letter from Apostolic Pro-Nuncio (Prot. No. 1091/84/8) February 13, 1984

Promulgated: Minutes of November 1983 General Meeting, March 1984

SUBSEQUENT ACTION: Canon 1246ß2
DECREE OF PROMULGATION

On December 13, 1991 the members of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States of American made the following general decree concerning holy days of obligation for Latin rite Catholics:

In addition to Sunday, the days to be observed as holy days of obligation in the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America, in conformity with canon 1246, are as follows:

January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God
Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter, the solemnity of the Ascension
August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
November 1, the solemnity of All Saints
December 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception
December 25, the solemnity of the Nativity of Our Lord Jesus Christ

Whenever January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, or August 15, the solemnity of the Assumption, or November 1, the solemnity of All Saints, falls on a Saturday or on a Monday, the precept to attend Mass is abrogated.

This decree of the Conference of Bishops was approved and confirmed by the Apostolic See by a decree of the Congregation for Bishops (Prot. N. 296/84), signed by Bernardin Cardinal Gantin, prefect of the Congregation, and dated July 4, 1992.

As president of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, I hereby declare that the effective date of this decree for all the Latin rite dioceses of the United States of America will be January 1, 1993, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.

Given at the offices of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC, November 17, 1992.

Most Reverend Daniel E. Pilarczyk
Archbishop of Cincinnati
President, NCCB

Monsignor Robert N. Lynch
General Secretary

SUBSEQUENT ACTION: Canon 1246ß2

In accord with the provisions of canon 1246ß2 of the Code of Canon Law, which states: "... the conference of bishops can abolish certain holy days of obligation or transfer them to a Sunday with prior approval of the Apostolic See", the National Conference of Catholic Bishops of the United States decrees that the Ecclesiastical Provinces of the United States may transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday of Easter according to the following procedure.

The decision of each Ecclesiastical Province to transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension is to be made by the affirmative vote of two-thirds of the bishops of the respective Ecclesiastical Province. The decision of the Ecclesiastical Province should be communicated to the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and to the President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops.

This decree was approved by His Holiness Pope John Paul II by a decree of the Congregation for Bishops signed by His Eminence Lucas Cardinal Moreira Neves, Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, and dated July 5, 1999.

As President of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops, I hereby decree that the effective date of this decree for all the Latin Rite dioceses of the United States of America will be September 8, 1999, Feast of the Birth of the Virgin Mary.

Given at the offices of the National Conference of Catholic Bishops in Washington, DC, August 6, 1999, Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.

Most Reverend Joseph A. Fiorenza
Bishop of Galveston-Houston
President, NCCB

Reverend Monsignor Dennis M. Schnurr
General Secretary

February 28, 2002

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops

Summary

The number Holy Days of Obligation other than Sundays has varied considerably through the Church’s history, and at some periods and places dozens of saints days were included as obligatory.

In 1911, Pope Pius X reduced the number of Holy Days of Obligation for the universal Church to eleven, eliminating most patronal feasts. Even earlier, at the Third Plenary Council of Baltimore (1884), the US bishops had already removed the obligation from the Epiphany, Corpus Christi, and saints days (other than the Blessed Virgin Mary), reducing the number of these days to six, as in the present calendar.

In 1983, the year the new Code of Canon Law came into effect, the US bishops issued a “Complementary Norm” to Canon 1246, decreeing that the Holy Days of Obligation to be observed in the United States are

The Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God (January 1)

The Solemnity of the Ascension (Thursday before Pentecost, 40 days after Easter)

The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary (August 15)

The Solemnity of All Saints (November 1)

The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary (December 8)

The Solemnity of Christmas (December 25)

At the same time, they transferred the celebration of the Solemnity of the Epiphany (January 6 on the universal calendar) to the Sunday after January 1, and the Solemnity of Corpus Christi (Thursday after Trinity Sunday on the universal calendar) to the second Sunday after Pentecost, with the intention of restoring central importance to these feasts of Christ, too-often neglected on their traditional dates by most Catholics.

The US bishops’ action was approved by the Holy See in February 1984.

In 1991, the US bishops further amended the Church calendar, by removing the obligation to attend Mass whenever January 1, August 15, or November 1 fell on a Saturday or a Monday. Their action was approved by the Holy See in 1992.

Another change was made in 1999, and approved by the Holy See. It decreed that Ecclesiastical Provinces “may transfer the Solemnity of the Ascension of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ from Thursday of the Sixth Week of Easter to the Seventh Sunday after Easter”, by the vote of 2/3 of the bishops of any “ecclesiastical province” in the United States. Each province would then communicate their decision to the Prefect of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments and to the conference president. Thus the date of celebration of the Ascension varies in the dioceses of the United States.

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

~ PRAYER ~

St. Michael, the Archangel, defend us in battle
Be our protection against the wickedness
and snares of the devil;
May God rebuke him, we humbly pray,
and do thou, O Prince of the heavenly host,
by the power of God,
Cast into hell Satan and all the evil spirits
who prowl through the world seeking the ruin of souls.
Amen
+

Intentions of the Holy Father for November

November 2013

Suffering Priests. That priests who experience difficulties may find comfort in their suffering, support in their doubts, and confirmation in their fidelity.

Latin American Churches. That as fruit of the continental mission, Latin American Churches may send missionaries to other Churches.

A Prayer for our Free Nation Under God
God Save Our Country web site (prayer warriors)
Prayer Chain Request for the United States of America
Pray for Nancy Pelosi
Prayer and fasting will help defeat health care reform (Freeper Prayer Thread)
Prayer Campaign Started to Convert Pro-Abortion Catholic Politicians to Pro-Life
[Catholic Caucus] One Million Rosaries
Non-stop Rosary vigil to defeat ObamaCare

From an Obama bumper sticker on a car:

"Pray for Obama. Psalm 109:8"

PLEASE JOIN US -

Evening Prayer
Someone has said that if people really understood the full extent of the power we have available through prayer, we might be speechless.
Did you know that during WWII there was an advisor to Churchill who organized a group of people who dropped what they were doing every day at a prescribed hour for one minute to collectively pray for the safety of England, its people and peace?

There is now a group of people organizing the same thing here in America. If you would like to participate: Every evening at 9:00 PM Eastern Time (8:00 PM Central) (7:00 PM Mountain) (6:00 PM Pacific), stop whatever you are doing and spend one minute praying for the safety of the United States, our troops, our citizens, and for a return to a Godly nation. If you know anyone else who would like to participate, please pass this along. Our prayers are the most powerful asset we have. Please forward this to your praying friends.