Solemnity of All Saints

1 NOVEMBER 2013. These pages have been long quiet and not frequently updated for most of this year. The year has been running ahead at a frantic pace: children, church, school, the office; everything has conspired against the scribe this year and the battle continues.

But, on the beautiful day, I stop and give thanks and implore the intercession of all the saints--those holy souls whom the Church offers us as heavenly brothers and sisters who have run well the race on earth and now enjoy the fruits of heaven: the beatific vision. As they are in the midst of God, the saints still pray for us, always pleading to God on our behalf.

For our household, St. Canice House, below is the litany of saints on whose intercession we rely for personal consolation and assistance:

Lord have mercy on us,
Lord have mercy on us.

Christ have mercy on us,
Christ have mercy on us.

Lord have mercy on us,
hear our prayer.

God the Father, provide for us.
God the Son, . . .
Holy Spirit, love of the Father and the Son . . . .

We praise you and adore You O Lord.

Blessed Virgin Mary, Queen of the Divine Will, pray for us.
Saint Dominic, . . .
Saint Catherine of Sienna, . . .
Saint Thomas Aquinas, . . .
Saint Mary Magdalene, . . .
Saint John the Baptist, . . .
Saint Francis, . . .
Saint Clare of Assisi, . . .
Saint Joan of Arc, . . .
Saint Trason, . . .
Saint Gabiel the Archangel, . . .
Saint Canice, . . .
All you holy angels and saints, . . . .

Pray for us that we may always enjoy the presence of sanctifying grace, to offer ourselves more fully and more splendidly to God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in all that we do and are. May the Divine Will live in our lives, breathe in our breath, think in our thoughts, love in our acts, spill into all of our being for the benefit of all whom the Lord loves.

Amen.

Feast of All Saints of the Dominican Order

7 NOVEMBER 2011. Today we celebrate the Feast of All Saints of the Order of Preachers.

Saint Dominic has left us a legacy of teaching and preaching by word and by the example of our lives. It is, then, joyous and encouraging that so many of our Dominican brothers and sisters have been beatified and canonized by our Mother Church.

In A.D. 1670 the Master General of the Order, Juan Tomas Rocaberti, sought and obtained permission from the Holy See for the Order of Preachers to observe a feast in honor of all the saints of the order: friars, brothers, sisters, nuns, and laity, including many, many blesseds.

Relying necessarily on the favor of their intercessions and the prayers of the Blessed Virgin, let us pray:

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, have mercy.
Christ, have mercy.

Lord, have mercy.
Lord, have mercy.

Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.

God, the heavenly Father
have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world
have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit
have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God
have mercy on us.

Holy Mary
pray for us.
Holy Mother of God
pray for us.
Holy Virgin of Virgins
pray for us.
All you holy angels and archangels
pray for us.
All you holy Patriarchs and Prophets
pray for us.
All you holy Apostles and Evangelists
pray for us.
All you holy martyrs
pray for us.
All you holy virgins and widows
pray for us.
All you holy men and women
pray for us.

Saint Michael
pray for us.
Saint Gabriel
pray for us.
Saint Raphael
pray for us.
Saint Joseph
pray for us.
Saint John the Baptist
pray for us.
Saint Mary Magdalen
pray for us.
Holy Father Augustine
pray for us.
Holy Father Francis
pray for us.
Blessed Jane of Aza
pray for us.
Blessed Reginald
pray for us.

Holy Father Dominic
pray for us.
Holy Father Dominic
pray for us.

Blessed Bertrand
pray for us.
Blessed Mannes
pray for us.
Blessed Diana
pray for us.
Blessed Jordan of Saxony
pray for us.
Blessed John of Salerno
pray for us.
Blessed William and Companions
pray for us.
Blessed Ceslaus
pray for us.
Blessed Isnard
pray for us.
Blessed Guala
pray for us.
Blessed Peter Gonzalez
pray for us.
Saint Zdislava
pray for us.
Saint Peter of Verona
pray for us.
Blessed Nicholas
pray for us.
Saint Hyacinth
pray for us.
Blessed Gonsalvo
pray for us.
Blessed Sadoc and Companions
pray for us.
Blessed Giles
pray for us.
Saint Margaret of Hungary
pray for us.
Blessed Batholomew of Vincenza
pray for us.
Saint Thomas Aquinas
pray for us.
Saint Raymond of Penyafort
pray for us.
Blessed Innocent V
pray for us.
Blessed Albert of Bergamo
pray for us.
Saint Albert the Great
pray for us.
Blessed John of Vercelli
pray for us.
Blessed Ambrose
pray for us.
Blessed Cecilia
pray for us.
Blessed Benvenuta
pray for us.
Blessed James of Varazze
pray for us.
Blessed James of Bevagna
pray for us.
Blessed Benedict XI
pray for us.
Blessed Jane of Orvieto
pray for us.
Blessed Jordan of Pisa
pray for us.
Saint Emily
pray for us.
Blessed James Salomonio
pray for us.
Saint Agnes of Montepulciano
pray for us.
Blessed Simon
pray for us.
Blessed Margaret of Castello
pray for us.
Blessed Augustine Kazotic
pray for us.
Blessed James Benefatti
pray for us.
Blessed Imelda
pray for us.
Blessed Dalmatius
pray for us.
Blessed Margaret Ebner
pray for us.
Blessed Villana
pray for us.
Blessed Peter Ruffia
pray for us.
Blessed Henry
pray for us.
Blessed Sibyllina
pray for us.
Blessed Anthony of Pavonio
pray for us.
Saint Catherine of Siena
pray for us.
Blessed Marcolino
pray for us.
Blessed Raymond of Capua
pray for us.
Blessed Andrew Franchi
pray for us.
Saint Vincent Ferrer
pray for us.
Blessed Clara
pray for us.
Blessed John Dominic
pray for us.
Blessed Alvarez
pray for us.
Blessed Maria
pray for us.
Blessed Peter of Castello
pray for us.
Blessed Andrew Abellon
pray for us.
Blessed Stephen
pray for us.
Blessed Peter Geremia
pray for us.
Blessed John of Fiesole
pray for us.
Blessed Lawrence of Ripafratta
pray for us.
Blessed Anthony della Chiesa
pray for us.
Saint Antoninus
pray for us.
Blessed Anthony Neyrot
pray for us.
Blessed Margaret of Savoy
pray for us.
Blessed Bartholomew of Cerverio
pray for us.
Blessed Matthew
pray for us.
Blessed Constantius
pray for us.
Blessed Christopher
pray for us.
Blessed Damian
pray for us.
Blessed Andrew of Peschiera
pray for us.
Blessed Bernard
pray for us.
Blessed Jane of Portugal
pray for us.
Blessed James of Ulm
pray for us.
Blessed Augustine of Biella
pray for us.
Blessed Aimo
pray for us.
Blessed Sebastian
pray for us.
Blessed Mark
pray for us.
Blessed Columba
pray for us.
Blessed Magdalen
pray for us.
Blessed Osanna of Mantua
pray for us.
Blessed John Liccio
pray for us.
Blessed Dominic Spadafora
pray for us.
Blessed Stephana
pray for us.
Saint Adrian
pray for us.
Blessed Lucy
pray for us.
Blessed Catherine Racconigi
pray for us.
Blessed Osanna of Kotor
pray for us.
Saint Pius V
pray for us.
Saint John of Cologne
pray for us.
Blessed Maria Bartholomew
pray for us.
Saint Louis Bertrand
pray for us.
Saint Catherine de Ricci
pray for us.
Blessed Robert
pray for us.
Blessed Alphonsus and Companions
pray for us.
Saint Rose
pray for us.
Saint Dominic Ibanez and Companions
pray for us.
Blessed Agnes of Jesus
pray for us.
Saint Lawrence Ruiz and Companions
pray for us.
Saint Martin de Porres
pray for us.
Blessed Peter Higgins
pray for us.
Blessed Francis de Capillas
pray for us.
Saint Juan Macias
pray for us.
Blessed Terence
pray for us.
Blessed Ann of the Angels
pray for us.
Blessed Francis de Posadas
pray for us.
Saint Louis de Montfort
pray for us.
Blessed Francis Gil
pray for us.
Saint Matteo
pray for us.
Blessed Peter Sanz and Companions
pray for us.
Saint Vincent Liem
pray for us.
Saint Hyacinth Castaneda
pray for us.
Blessed Marie
pray for us.
Blessed George
pray for us.
Blessed Catherine Jarrige
pray for us.
Saint Ignatius and Companions
pray for us.
Saint Dominic An-Kham and Companions
pray for us.
Saint Joseph Khang and Companions
pray for us.
Saint Francis Coll
pray for us.
Blessed Hyacinthe Cormier
pray for us.
Blessed Pier Giorgio
pray for us.
Blessed Bartolo
pray for us.
Blessed Michael Czartoryski
pray for us.
Blessed Julia Rodzinska
pray for us.
All holy Dominican brothers and sisters
pray for us.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.

Let us pray.--
God, source of all holiness, you have enriched your Church
with many gifts in the saints of the Order of Preachers.
By following the example of our brothers and sisters,
may we come to enjoy their company
for ever in the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Your Son, who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever.
Amen.

Prayer to all the Saints of the Dominican Order

Ant. O what happiness and glory belong always to the saints, how distinguished the merits of the Preachers, by whose words and deeds the world is adorned, by whose works the mind grows stronger.

V: The saints shall be joyful in glory.
R: They shall sing for joy on their couches.

Let us pray

Grant, we beseech Thee, almighty God, that the examples fo the saints of our Order may incite us to a better life; that we may imitate the deeds of them whose memory we celebrate. Through Christ our Lord.

R: Amen.

Solemnity of All Saints

1 NOVEMBER 2009. Today the Church celebrates the solemnity of All Saints--the annual feast of all those that the Church recognizes as having attained the beatific vision. This year, there are five new saints to celebrate, who were canonized by Pope Benedict XVI on 11 October of this year.

The celebration of all saints has been a fixture on the Church calendar for a very long time. On 13 May 609 or 610, Pope Boniface IV consecrated the Pantheon to the Blessed Virgin Mary and all martyrs and ordered that an anniversary of all saints be celebrated each year. The celebration moved to its current slot on the calendar during the pontificate of Gregory III (731-741). The annual commemoration was then extended to the universal Church by Pope Gregory IV (827-844).

The Solemnity of All Saints is a holy day of obligation in the United States, unless it falls on a Monday or Saturday.

The Solemnity of All Saints is always followed by All Souls Day on 2 November.

The saints have recognized the attainment of holiness in their lives that all faithful strive for. In the presence of the Holy Trinity, the saints can intercede for us and are a powerful assistance and great comfort in our time of need.

If you have not done so lately, pray to your patron saint. If you do not have a patron saint, take the time to do some research and find one--the stories of the lives and experiences of the saints are a magnificent tapestry that draw upon all walks of life, circumstances, and vocations. If you need research help, drop me a line.