Requiem Mass

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Monday, 2 November 2015 : Feast of All Souls, Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (Psalm)

Liturgical Colour : Black or Purple

Psalm 26 : 1, 4, 7-9, 13-14

The Lord is my light and my salvation – whom shall I fear? The Lord is the rampart of my life; I will not be afraid.

One thing I ask of the Lord, one thing I seek – that I may dwell in His house all the days of my life, to gaze at His jewel and to visit His sanctuary.

Hear my voice when I call, o Lord, have mercy on me and answer. My heart says to You, “I seek Your face, o Lord.” Do not hide Your face from me nor turn away Your servant in anger. You are my Protector, do not reject me. Abandon me not, o God my Saviour!

I hope, I am sure, that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Trust in the Lord, be strong and courageous. Yes, put your hope in the Lord!

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Monday, 2 November 2015 : Feast of All Souls, Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (First Reading)

Liturgical Colour : Black or Purple

Isaiah 25 : 6-9

On this mountain YHVH Sabaoth will prepare for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, meat full of marrow, fine wine strained. On this mountain He will destroy the pall cast over all peoples, this very shroud spread over all nations, and death will be no more.

The Lord YHVH will wipe away the tears from all cheek and eyes; He will take away the humiliation of His people all over the world : for YHVH has spoken. On that day you will say : This is our God. We have waited for Him to save us, let us be glad and rejoice in His salvation.

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Homily and Scripture Reflections

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, following the Usus Antiquior or the Extraordinary Form of the Latin Rite of the Holy Mass, we celebrate the commemoration of all the faithful departed, or the celebration of All Souls’ Day. We therefore today remember all of our loved ones and indeed, all of our fellow brothers and sisters who have gone before us into the afterlife.

The souls of the dead departed from their bodies, and to many of us, death seems like to be very dreadful and vile indeed. And that is why so many people feared death, as they see it as the separation from what is dear to them in the world, from all of their loved ones and from all of their possessions, indeed, from everything that they were and from everyone they ever knew.

Or so it seems. We often mourn at death because we do not understand death, and we often do not know that what we see as death, is not an eternal separation or indeed even as something to be dreaded at all. For some of us, we cannot endure death because we fear losing what we have in this life, our possessions and our ties to the things of this world. And then for some, we see death as something evil and scary, as how it was often portrayed to us.

What is death? Death is, as mentioned, the sting of sin, and death is the consequence of sin. Death is never meant for us, brothers and sisters in Christ, as we were created by God in perfection, intended to enjoy forever the bliss of life and harmony, with the Lord in complete and unadulterated love. Instead, men chose to follow their own path, and to listen to the lies of Satan, and thus sinned.

Sin is disobedience and rebellion against God’s will, against God who is love and who is life. As He is the source of life, when we rebelled against the Lord, we have been tainted by sin and therefore being cast off from Life itself, having no life in us. Hence, even though the breath of life which God had given us is within us, but the life we have in this world is temporary, and is bound to end one day, at the Lord’s time and choosing.

Yes, we are all mere mortals, and the life within us depends on God, who gives and takes Life as He pleases. And yet, this life which we have is in fact an opportunity for us all to atone and repent from our sinfulness. And the Lord Himself has presented us with a new hope and guidance, by the sending of His own Son, our Lord Jesus Christ into this world.

Why is this so? That is because our Lord Jesus Christ offers us a new life, that is life in Him, the Lord of Life. He has life in Him as given to Him by His Father, and He is the Bread of Life who came down from heaven. Why is this allusion to food, the Bread of Life? Because Christ Himself had offered His own flesh and blood to become the very food and drink that gives us new life and nourishes us.

This food and drink is the food that gives us new life, not the life that is still subjected to the power of death, but a new life that is free from the depredations of death. And Jesus offered us this Bread and this Wine, His own Body and Blood, to be part of us, when we receive them with faith, so that we who share in His gifts through the sacrifice He made on the cross, gain everlasting life through Him.

Our mortal existence in this world may come to an end, but we have been assured the final victory against death, as the Lord Himself had conquered death through His own resurrection from the dead. And that resurrection is our hope, because through it we know that there is escape from death, and it will not have the final say against us.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, there are three fates awaiting the souls when they depart from this earthly life. If they are wicked in life, disobeying the Lord and refusing to listen to His calling, and even refusing to repent and believe in Him, committing evil in life, then hell is their lot. Hell that is the total separation and rift from the love of God, without hope of escape and salvation. No amount of help or prayer will help souls that have been condemned to hell for their irredeemable sins.

Meanwhile, the souls of the faithful will end up either in heaven or in Purgatory, depending on what they had done in life. If their lives had been exemplary in faith, filled with all forms of goodness and righteousness, then they merit the glories and joy of heaven straight away, and these are the saints, the holy men and women who keep their lives pure and worthy in the sight of God.

How about Purgatory, then? Purgatory is the place where the souls of the faithful dead, who has been faithful and devoted to God, and were found righteous, but still have the taints of serious sins on them. As such, they were not yet worthy of the fullness of glory of heaven, as the Lord dwells there, and in the presence of God, no sin should stand.

Therefore, the souls whose sins have not been completely purified have to wait in the Purgatory, suffering the consequences of their sins, the pain and sorrow of not being able to be with the Lord their God, and at the same time, being fully aware of the wickedness of their sins and shortcomings, which made them to end up in the Purgatory at the first place. They will indeed eventually proceed to heaven, but only after their sins had been absolved completely.

Today is therefore a reminder for us, on this feast of All Souls, that we have a clear choice in this life to follow the will of God and walk in His ways, or otherwise to follow the whims of our own desire and to listen to Satan and thus to sin. If we are not careful, and if our lives are filled with wickedness, then we may end up in hell, without hope of ever escaping it.

And the souls in Purgatory and their suffering there reminds us to lead a righteous life, free from even venial and seemingly minuscule and light sins. Even these may hamper us as we make our way towards the Lord. And the souls in Purgatory needs our prayer, as they cannot pray for their own sake. If we pray for the souls in Purgatory, we may obtain for them plenary or partial indulgence for the remission and absolution of their sins, so that hopefully they will be able to end their sufferings in Purgatory and proceed to the eternal glory in heaven.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, therefore, let us ask the holy saints and angels of God to pray, first to pray for the souls in Purgatory, that together with their prayers, our prayers for these poor souls may rise to the presence of God, and God in His mercy and love, may forgive them their sins and bring them into heaven to be with Him, having been made pure and blameless, so that they may not need to suffer anymore.

And finally, for them to also pray for us sinners who still walk in this world in this mortal life. That we may realise our sinfulness and mortality, and of the suffering of the souls in Purgatory, so that we may change our ways, avoiding and rejecting sins, that we may eventually be found worthy in heaven and that none of us will be lost to hell. May all the souls of the faithful dead in the Lord, find rest in peace and receive the eternal glory of everlasting heaven with Him. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Offertory, Secret Prayer of the Priest, Preface of the Dead, Communion, Post-Communion Prayer

Offertory

Tradition of the Faith

Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae, libera animas omnium fidelium defunctorum de paenis inferni et de profundo lacu : libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum : sed signifer sanctus Michael repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam : Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.

Response : Hostias et preces Tibi, Domine, laudis offerimus : Tu suscipe pro animabus illis, quarum hodie memoriam facimus : fac eas, Domine, de morte transire ad vitam. Quam olim Abrahae promisisti et semini ejus.

English translation

O Lord Jesus Christ, King of glory, deliver the souls of all the faithful departed from the pains of hell and from the deep pit; deliver them from the lion’s mouth, that hell will not engulf them, nor that they fall into darkness, but let Michael, the holy standard-bearer, bring them into the holy light which You once had promised to Abraham and his seed.

Response : We offer You, o Lord, sacrifices and prayers of praise. May You accept them for those souls whom we commemorate this day; grant them, o Lord, to pass from death to the life which You once had promised to Abraham and his seed.

Secret Prayer of the Priest

Secret for the First Mass

Hostias, quaesumus, Domine, quas tibi pro animabus famulorum famularumque tuarum offerimus, propitiatus intende : ut, quibus fidei christianae meritum contulisti, dones et praemium. Per Dominum…

English translation

Mercifully look down, we beseech You, o Lord, upon the sacrifice which we offer You for the souls of Your servants and handmaids, that, to those on whom You had conferred the merit of Christian faith, You may also grant its reward. Through our Lord…

Secret for the Second Mass

Propitiare, Domine, supplicationibus nostris, pro animabus famulorum famularumque tuarum, pro quibus tibi offerimus sacrificium laudis; ut eas Sanctorum tuorum consortio sociare digneris. Per Dominum…

English translation

Be propitiated, o Lord, by our supplications for the souls of Your servants and handmaids, whose anniversary is kept today, for whom we offer You the sacrifice of praise, that You vouchsafe to join them to the company of Your saints. Through our Lord…

Secret for the Third Mass

Deus, cujus misericordiae non est numerus, suscipe propitius preces humilitatis nostrae : et animabus fratrumm propinquorum et benefactorum nostrorum, quibus Tui Nominis dedisti confessionem, per haec sacramenta salutis nostrae, cunctorum remissionem tribue peccatorum. Per Dominum…

English translation

O God, whose mercy is boundless, mercifully receive the prayers of our lowliness, and grant, through these sacraments of our salvation, to the souls of our brethren, kindred, and benefactors, to whom You had granted the confession of Your Name, the remission of all sins. Through our Lord…

Mass for the Dead

Preface of the Dead

Vere dignum et justum est, aequum et salutare, nos tibi semper et ubique gratias agere : Domine, Sancte Pater omnipotens, aeterne Deus : per Christum, Dominum nostrum. In quo nobis spes beatae resurrectionis effulsit, ut, quos contristat certa moriendi condicio, eosdem consoletur futurae immortalitatis promissio. Tuis enim fidelibus, Domine, vita mutatur, non tollitur : et, dissoluta terrestris hujus incolatus domo, aeterna in caelis habitatio comparatur.

Et ideo cum Angelis et Archangelis, cum Thronis et Dominationibus cumque omni militia caelestis exercitus hymnum gloriae tuae canimus, sine fine dicentes :

English translation

It is truly meet and just, right and profitable for us, at all times, and in all places, to give thanks to You, o holy Lord, Father Almighty, eternal God through Christ, our Lord, in whom the hope of a happy resurrection has shone on us, so that those whom the certain fate of dying renders sad, may be consoled by the promise of future immortality. For with regard to Your faithful, o Lord, life is changed, not taken away; and the house of their earthly dwelling being destroyed, an eternal dwelling in heaven is obtained.

So with the angels and archangels, with the dominions and powers, with all the hosts of the heavenly army, we sing of Your glory without end, saying :

Agnus Dei

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem.

Agnus Dei, qui tollis peccata mundi, dona eis requiem sempiternam.

English translation

Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, give unto them rest.

Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, give unto them rest.

Lamb of God, who took away the sins of the world, give unto them rest forevermore.

Communion

4 Esdras 2 : 35, 34

Lux aeterna luceat eis, Domine : Cum Sanctis tuis in aeternum : quia pius es.

Response : Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine : et lux perpetua luceat eis. Cum Sanctis Tuis in aeternum : quia pius es.

English translation

May light eternal shine upon them, o Lord, with Your saints forever, for You are kind.

Response : Grant them everlasting rest, o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them, with Your Saints forever, for You are kind.

Post-Communion

Post-Communion for the First Mass

Animabus, quaesumus, Domine, famulorum famularumque tuarum oratio proficiat supplicantium : ut eas et a peccatis omnibus exuas, et tuae redemptionis facias esse participes : Qui vivis…

English translation

May the prayer of Your suppliants profit the souls of Your servants and handmaids, we beseech You, o Lord, that You may free them from all sins and make them sharers in Your redemption. Who lives…

Post-Communion for the Second Mass

Praesta, quaesumus, Domine : ut animae famulorum famularumque tuarum, his purgatae sacrificiis, indulgentiam pariter et requiem capiant sempiternam. Per Dominum…

English translation

Grant, we beseech You, o Lord, that the souls of Your servants and handmaids, the anniversary of those whose burial we commemorate, may be purged by this sacrifice and obtain alike forgiveness and everlasting rest. Through our Lord…

Post-Communion for the Third Mass

Praesta, quaesumus, omnipotens et misericors Deus : ut animae fratrum, propinquorum et benefactorum nostrorum, pro quibus hoc sacrificium laudis tuae obtulimus majestati; per hujus virtutem sacramenti a peccatis omnibus expiatae, lucis perpertuae, te miserante, recipiant beatitudinem. Per Dominum…

English translation

Grant, we beseech You, o Almighty and merciful God, that the souls of our brethren, kindred, and benefactors, for whom we have offered this sacrifice of praise to Your majesty, being purified of all sins by the virtue of this sacrament, may, by Your mercy receive the beatitude of perpetual light. Through our Lord…

Dismissal (Mass for the Dead)

Priest : Requiescant in pace.

Response : Amen.

English translation

Priest : May they rest in peace.

Response : Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Holy Gospel

Gospel for the First Mass

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. John

John 5 : 25-29

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus turbis Judaeorum : Amen, amen, dico vobis, quia venit hora, et nunc est, quando mortui audient vocem Filii Dei : et qui audierint, vivent. Sicut enim Pater habet vitam in semetipso, sic dedit et Filio habere vitam in semetipso : et potestatem dedit ei judicium facere, quia Filius hominis est.

Nolite mirari hoc, quia venit hora, in qua omnes, qui in monumentis sunt, audient vocem Filii Dei : et procedent, qui bona fecerunt, in resurrectionem vitae : qui vero mala egerunt, in resurrectionem judicii.

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews, “Amen, amen, I say unto you, that the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear shall live. For as the Father had live in Himself, so He had given to the Son to also have life in Himself, and He had given Him power to do judgment, because He is the Son of Man.

Do not wonder at this, for the hour is coming where all who are in the graves shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who have done good things shall come forth unto the resurrection of life, but those who have done evil, unto the resurrection of judgment.

Gospel for the Second Mass

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. John

John 6 : 37-40

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus turbis Judaeorum : Omne, quod dat mihi Pater, ad me veniet : et eum, qui venit ad me, non ejiciam foras : quia descendi de caelo, non ut faciam voluntatem meam, sed voluntatem ejus, qui misit me.

Haec est autem voluntas ejus, qui misit me, Patris : ut omne, quod dedit mihi, non perdam ex eo, sed resuscitem illud in novissimo die. Haec est autem voluntas Patris mei, qui misit me : ut omnis, qui videt Filium et credit in eum, habeat vitam aeternam, et ego resuscitabo eum in novissimo die.

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews, “All who the Father gave Me shall come to Me, and he who comes to Me I will not cast out, because I came down from heaven not to do My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me.”

“Now this is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all those whom He had given Me, I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again in the last day; and this is the will of My Father who sent Me, that everyone who see the Son, and believe in Him, may have life everlasting, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Gospel for the Third Mass

Sequentia Sancti Evangelii secundum Joannem – Continuation of the Holy Gospel according to St. John

John 6 : 51-55

In illo tempore : Dixit Jesus turbis Judaeorum : Ego sum panis vivus, qui de caelo descendi. Si quis manducaverit ex hoc pane, vivet in aeternum : et panis, quem ego dabo, caro mea est pro mundi vita.

Litigabant ergo Judaei ad invicem, dicentes : Quomodo potest hic nobis carnem suam dare ad manducandum? Dixit ergo eis Jesus : Amen, amen, dico vobis : nisi manducaveritis carnem Filii hominis et biberitis ejus sanguinem, non habebitis vitam in vobis.

Qui manducat meam carnem et bibit meum sanguinem, habet vitam aeternam : et ego resuscitabo eum in novissimo die.

English translation

At that time, Jesus said to the multitudes of the Jews, “I am the living Bread, who came down from heaven. If any man eat of this bread he shall live forever, and the Bread that I will give is My Flesh for the life of the world.”

The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, “How can this Man give us His Flesh to eat?” Then Jesus said to them, “Amen, amen, I say unto you, except you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man, and drink His Blood, you shall not have life in you.”

“He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood, has everlasting life, and I will raise him up in the last day.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Sequence

Dies Irae, Dies Illa, solvet saeclum in favilla : Teste David cum Sibylla.

Quantus tremor est futurus, quando judex est venturus. Cuncta stricte discussurus!

Tuba, mirum spargens sonum, per sepulcra regionum. Coget omnes ante thronum.

Mors stupebit et natura, cum resurget creatura. Judicanti responsura.

Liber Scriptus proferetur, in quo totum continetur, unde mundus judicetur.

Judex ergo cum sedebit, quidquid latet, apparebit : Nil inultum remanebit.

Quid sum miser tunc dicturus? Quem patronum rogaturus, cum vix justus sit securus?

Rex tremendae majestatis, qui salvandos salvas gratis. Salva me, fons pietatis.

Recordare, Jesu pie, quod sum causa Tuae viae : Ne me perdas illa die.

Quaerens me, sedisti lassus : Redemisti Crucem passus : Tantus labor non sit cassus.

Juste judex ultionis, donum fac remissionis. Ante diem rationis.

Ingemisco, tamquam reus : Culpa rubet vultus meus : Supplicanti parce, Deus.

Qui Mariam absolvisti, et latronem exaudisti, Mihi quoque spem dedisti.

Preces meae non sunt dignae : Sed Tu bonus fac benigne, Ne perenni cremer igne.

Inter oves locum praesta, et ab haedis me sequestra, statuens in parte dextra.

Confutatis maledictis, Flammis actibus addictis : Voca me cum benedictis.

Oro supplex et acclinis, cor contritum quasi cinis : Gere curam mei finis.

Lacrimosa dies illa, qua resurget ex favilla. Judicandus homo reus : Huic ergo parce, Deus.

Pie Jesu Domine, Dona eis requiem. Amen.

English translation

The day of wrath, that awful day, shall reduce the world to ashes, as David and the Sybil prophesied.

How great shall be the trembling, when the Judge shall come to examine all things rigorously.

The trumpet, with astounding blast, echoing over the sepulchres of the whole world, shall summon all before the throne.

Death and Nature will stand aghast, when the creature shall rise again, to answer before his Judge.

The written book shall be brought forth, containing all for which the world must be judged.

When, therefore, the Judge shall be seated, whatsoever is hidden shall be brought to light; nothing shall remain unpunished.

What shall I, wretched, then say? Whom shall I invoke as protector, when even the just shall hardly be secure?

O King of awful majesty, who of Your free gift saved those who are to be saved, save me, o Fount of mercy.

Remember, o loving Jesus, that for my sake You had come upon the earth. Let me not, then, be lost on that day.

In search of me, You sat down, weary, suffering the Cross, You had redeemed me. Let not so great a labour be in vain.

O righteous Awarder of punishment, grant me the gift of pardon before the day of accounting.

I groan as one guilty, while I blush for my sins : oh! Spare Your suppliant, my God!

You who had absolved Mary, and had hearkened to the thief, to me You had also given hope.

My prayers deserve not to be heard, but You are good. Grant, in Your kindness, that I may not burn in the unquenchable fire.

Amid Your sheep appoint me a place, and separate me from the goats, placing me at Your right hand.

The accursed having been silenced and given over to the bitter flames, call me with the blessed.

Kneeling and prostrate I pray, with a heart contrite as though crushed to ashes; oh! Have a care for my last hour.

A mournful day that day shall be, when from the glowing embers shall arise. Guilty man, that he may be judged; spare him, then, o God!

Merciful Jesus, Lord, grant them rest. Amen.

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Gradual and Tract

Gradual

4 Esdras 2 : 34-35 and Psalm 111 : 7

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine : et lux perpetua luceat eis.

In memoria aeterna erit justus : ab auditione mala non timebit.

English translation

Eternal rest give to them, o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

The just shall be in everlasting remembrance, he shall not fear the evil hearing.

Tract

Tradition of the Faith

Absolve, Domine, animas omnium fidelium defunctorum ab omni vinculo delictorum.

Response : Et gratia Tua illis succurrente, mereantur evadere judicium ultionis,

Response : Et lucis aeternae beatitudine perfrui.

English translation

O Lord, absolve the souls of all the faithful departed from every bond of sin.

Response : And by the help of Your grace may they be worthy to escape the sentence of vengeance.

Response : And to enjoy all the beatitude of the light eternal.

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Epistle

Epistle for the First Mass

Lectio Epistolae Beati Pauli Apostoli ad Corinthios – Lesson from the Epistle of Blessed Paul the Apostle to the Corinthians

1 Corinthians 15 : 51-57

Fratres : Ecce, mysterium vobis dico : Omnes quidem resurgemus, sed non omnes immutabimur. In momento, in ictu oculi, in novissima tuba : canet enim tuba, et mortui resurgent incorrupti : et nos immutabimur.

Oportet enim corruptibile hoc induere incorruptionem : et mortale hoc induere immortalitatem. Cum autem mortale hoc induerit immortalitatem, tunc fiet sermo, qui scriptus est : Absorpta est mors in victoria. Ubi est, mors, victoria tua? Ubi est, mors, stimulus tuus?

Stimulus autem mortis peccatum est : virtus vero peccati lex. Deo autem gratias, qui dedit nobis victoriam per Dominum nostrum Jesum Christum.

English translation

Brethren, behold, I tell you a mystery : we shall all indeed rise again, but we shall not all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet; for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall rise again incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. And when this mortal had put on immortality, then what is written shall come to pass. Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?

Now the sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, who had given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Epistle for the Second Mass

Lectio libri Machabaeorum – Lesson from the Book of Maccabees

2 Maccabees 12 : 43-46

In diebus illis : Vir fortissimus Judas, facta collatione, duodecim milia drachmas argenti misit Jerosolymam, offerri pro peccatis mortuorum sacrificium, bene et religiose de resurrectione cogitans (nisi enim eos, qui ceciderant, resurrecturos speraret, superfluum videretur et vanum orare pro mortuis) : et quia considerabat, quod hi, qui cum pietate dormitionem acceperant, optimam haberent repositam gratiam.

Sancta ergo et salubris est cogitatio pro defunctis exorare, ut a peccatis solvantur.

English translation

In those days, the most valiant man Judas, making a gathering, sent twelve thousand drachmas of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection (for if he had not hoped that those who were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead); and because he considered that those who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.

It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosened from sins.

Epistle for the Third Mass

Lectio libri Apocalypsis Beati Joannis Apostoli – Lesson from the Book of the Apocalypse of Blessed John the Apostle

Apocalypse 14 : 13

In diebus illis : Audivi vocem de caelo, dicentem mihi : Scribe : Beati mortui, qui in Domino moriuntur. Amodo jam dicit Spiritus, ut requiescant a laboribus suis : opera enim illorum sequuntur illos.

English translation

In those days I heard a voice from heaven, saying to me, “Write : blessed are the dead, who die in the Lord.” “From henceforth now,” said the Spirit, “that they may rest from their labours, for their works follow them.”

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(Usus Antiquior) Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls’ Day (Feria II Classis) – Monday, 3 November 2014 : Introit and Collect

Introit

4 Esdras 2 : 34, 35 and Psalm 64 : 2-3

Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine : et lux perpetua luceat eis.

Te decet hymnus, Deus, in Sion, et Tibi reddetur votum in Jerusalem : exaudi orationem meam, ad Te omnis caro veniet.

Response : Requiem aeternam dona eis, Domine : et lux perpetua luceat eis.

English translation

Eternal rest give to them, o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

A hymn, o God, becomes Yours in Sion, and a vow shall be paid to You in Jerusalem. O Lord, hear my prayer, all flesh shall come to You.

Response : Eternal rest give to them, o Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.

Collect

Collect for the First Mass

Fidelium, Deus, omnium Conditor et Redemptor : animabus famulorum famularumque Tuarum remissionem cunctorum tribue peccatorum; ut indulgentiam, quam semper optaverunt, piis supplicationibus consequantur. Qui vivis…

English translation

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful, grant to the souls of Your servants and handmaids the remission of all their sins, that they may obtain by loving prayers the forgiveness which they have always desired. Who lives…

Collect for the Second Mass

Deus, indulgentiarum Domine : da animabus famulorum famularumque Tuarum refrigerii sedem, quietis beatitudinem et luminis claritatem. Per Dominum…

English translation

O God, the Lord of mercies, grant to the souls of Your servants and handmaids, the anniversary of whose burial we commemorate, an abode of refreshment, the beatitude of rest, and the brightness of light. Through our Lord…

Collect for the Third Mass

Deus, veniae largitor et humanae salutis amator : quaesumus clementiam Tuam; ut nostrae congregationis fratres, propinquos et benefactores, qui ex hoc saeculo transierunt, Beata Maria semper Virgine intercedente cum omnibus Sanctis Tuis, ad perpetuae beatitudinis consortium pervenire concedas. Per Dominum…

English translation

O God, the bestower of pardon and lover of man’s salvation, we beseech Your clemency, through the intercession of Blessed Mary ever Virgin, and all Your saints, that the brethren, who have passed out of this world may together enjoy everlasting happiness. Through our Lord…

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Sunday, 2 November 2014 : Feast of All Souls, 31st Sunday of Ordinary Time (Homily and Scripture Reflections)

Liturgical Colour : Purple/Violet or Black

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today we celebrate the Feast of All Souls, which means that we celebrate the memory of all those who have departed this life before us into the afterlife. The souls of the dead are separated from their bodies, and while their bodies sleep, their souls await the resurrection of the dead at the end of time, during the Last Judgment, when Jesus the King will come again and judge all the living and the dead, and this is part of our faith.

We believe that all the souls of the righteous will be judged by God to belong to Him, and as the Last Judgment shows, they will be counted among the saved ones, and be granted the eternal life and happiness which God had promised all of us. Meanwhile, the souls of the wicked and all those who had done evil in life, and never repented from those evils, will be cast into the eternal damnation and punishment in hell, with Satan and his angels.

Why do we then celebrate today, as the day of commemoration of all the souls who have departed this life? That is because, our Faith believes that, while the righteous ones and those who have done justly in life, will enter heaven directly, being found worthy of it, who are the saints, whose feast day we just celebrated yesterday, the solemnity and feast of All Saints. And those who are wicked and evil in life, they would be condemned to a state of eternal death and suffering, cast into hell and the lake of fire.

But how about those who were with sin, but yet also were righteous? Many of us are in this state, as we commit venial sins and sometimes even mortal sins, and yet in our lives we also commit things that are good and righteous in the sight of God? God is loving and merciful to us, brothers and sisters in Christ, and therefore, if we had been faithful and righteous in life, despite of our sins, we will not be cast into hell and suffer for eternity without hope.

That is because hell is reserved only for those who constantly refused to listen to the Lord and commit mortal sins, and other form of sins, one after another and failing to seek the Lord’s mercy. Hell is however, not exactly a place, but a state, in which we are separated from God and His love for eternity, without hope of redemption and salvation, as we ourselves have rejected the salvation in Jesus in the first place, through our actions.

The suffering is because of the unimaginable nature of losing God’s love and presence in our lives, which brought despair and sorrow so great that it is painful. This is certainly not the fate which God intended for all those who remain faithful to Him. But at the same time, for many of us, we are still not yet worthy of heaven, for the glory of heaven is reserved for those who are truly just alone, and sin has no place in the presence of God. Remember that God is just and His hatred against sin is as great as His mercy and love for us all.

Therefore, our Faith has the concept of what is called purgatory and limbo, in which the souls of the dead and all the souls of those who have not been baptised and yet are righteous among the nations, remain during their sojourn before they are worthy of heaven, suffering temporarily for the consequences of their sins. In the purgatory and limbo, the souls who are there are not without hope, unlike those who are in hell, but they also long for the happiness and joy of heaven which the saints enjoy, and that temporal separation from God, even though not permanent like those souls in hell, bring them great longing and great suffering.

Therefore, on this commemoration of the All Souls’ Day, we commemorate those souls of our brethren, who had departed before us, and we pray for them, asking also the intercession of the saints and imploring the Lord for His generous mercy, to be given to those souls who now suffer in purgatory, for the venial sins and other impurities which prevent them from truly being with God.

But at the same time, this occasion should also be a reminder for us who are still alive, that we should take heed of this fate of the souls suffering in purgatory, and even more so, that we take heed of what is going to happen to the wicked and those who embrace evil, who will be cast down into hell. We have to be vigilant in our own lives, and guard our actions, that evil will not have its way into us, and cause us to commit sin.

Brothers and sisters in Christ, our Church in fact consist not just all of us who believe in Christ in this world today, as this is just one component of the Church of God. We are the Church Militant, who are still living and walking on this world, fighting constantly and regularly in a spiritual battle against the forces of evil, and resisting all forms of sin, we ought to lead a righteous life, to guard against Satan and to be justified in our faith that we merit salvation.

But our Church also consists of the Church Triumphant, which consists of the holy saints, men and women who had been found worthy to merit the glory of heaven, and yet, as I have mentioned yesterday, and as we celebrated the feast of All Saints yesterday, they are still very much together with us, and they constantly pray for our sake, and being close to the throne of God, they are our intercessors, asking for God to show us His mercy and love.

And lastly, our Church also consists of the Church Suffering, namely the souls of the dead who are still in purgatory, suffering for their sins, on their path to heaven, and yet at the same time, they are again also very much still with us, as even death does not part them from us. They are all aware of their sins and how these sins had prevented them from directly enjoying the fullness of God’s promise and how they had suffered because of that.

Thus, they too are praying for our sake, imploring the Lord to send us reminders and strength, to overcome our evils and wickedness, while we still have time, and not to wait until it is too late for us. As at best, our sins will prevent us from being found worthy of heaven directly, and we will end up in purgatory just as they are now in purgatory, or even at worst, that we may end up falling into the endless pit of hell, without any way or hope of escaping it.

Therefore, on this day, we really should use the opportunity, to pray for our beloved ones, and also for every other souls who have departed this life, that the Lord will show mercy on them. We should ask the saints for their intercession, that they will also pray for the sake of the souls in purgatory, as well as pray for us too, so that all of us may be eventually found worthy by the Lord and escape suffering towards eternal life and salvation, together with them the saints, in the glory of heaven.

Let us commit all of us to prayer, that we pray for all the members of the Church, particularly all of us the Church Militant, fighting constantly against evil of this world, and those in purgatory, the Church Suffering. We should pray for one another and help one another to guard ourselves from wickedness, that God’s promised salvation will bear fruit in us, through our faith, our repentance and our devotion to Him.

Nevertheless, this day of All Souls remind us yet again, and the Scriptures also affirmed that we should have no reason to fear death, or fear the condemnation and suffering of hell at all. That is because, even though because of sin, our disobedience against God, we will die, but we will not die forever. Jesus our Lord Himself had made the ultimate proof, when He died on the cross for us, and then rose in glory and majesty, showing that He had conquered death.

Therefore, even as we remember the dead today, and even as we reflect on the nature and inevitability of death to all of us, we have to always remember and put our complete hope and trust in our Lord Jesus, our Risen Lord and Saviour. Through His death we have also died to our sins and to our past lives, and through His Resurrection we have been brought into a new life, a life that is justified by faith and by our love for God.

That is why the sacrament of Baptism is so important, just as the Scriptures mentioned, that through the waters of baptism, when we are immersed in it, we have been ‘drowned’ unto death, the death from our old lives, filled with sin, impurities and wickedness of our heart and soul, and we have been remade into a clean, pure slate, which the Lord transformed into a new life through His resurrection. We did not remain in death, but we rise with Him in glory, if we choose to follow Him faithfully and devotedly.

Death and sin has no say over us, brothers and sisters in Christ, if we remain faithful to the Lord, and if we put our trust solely in Him alone. The belief in the resurrection is central to our faith, and as long as we believe in this, we shall have the eternal assurance of life and salvation, which our loving God had made through Jesus His Son. The souls in purgatory and limbo also knows this, and they prayed ceaselessly for the end of their suffering, when their sins are made clean, and they once again reunite with their Lord. The Lord had indeed won the final victory over death.

Therefore, brothers and sisters in Christ, on this occasion today, let us first be reminded that the consequences of sin is death, and death is fatal for us, if we do not make the conscious effort to detach us from those sins, then we are in great danger of falling into eternal damnation. Let us not be deceived by our own glory and achievements, for remember that we are all mortals, and eventually whatever we have in this world, will mean nothing if we have not done them in the Name of God.

Let us instead, look upon the examples of the holy saints, who have put their trust in God, and walked in His path. They have abandoned their wicked past, and cast away their old lives of sin, and in return they received the glory of God, and the fullness of divine promise made through Jesus, our Lord. Following the examples of the saints is a foolproof and guaranteed path for us, that we may also become justified in our faith, and therefore be assured in our own salvation.

And lastly, let us never forget those who have gone before us, and those whom we have loved, who have predeceased us, and now who may be in purgatory, seeking to be united in complete fullness with God. We pray for them, and ask the saints for their intercession for the sake of these souls in purgatory and limbo as well, that they may be delivered from the suffering which they now endure for their sins.

May after their sufferings, their sins are cleansed and they may be brought into full and glorious unity with God, and may we one day also be with them, in the glory of heaven. Let us put our trust and faith ever in God, who is Lord of the living and the Judge of all, knowing that if we do so, death will not have its final say on us, and we will receive the fullness of our Lord’s promise of eternal life and happiness.

May all the souls of those departed in the Lord, receive the grace and love of God, rest in peace, the peace of Christ our Lord. And may we all who still walk in this world continue to walk faithfully in the way of our Lord, emulating the examples of the saints, that we all, together as one Church, Church Militant, Church Triumphant, and Church Suffering be one day be reunited fully in God’s glory when He comes again, and may we praise Him for eternity thereafter. Amen.

 

First Reading :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/10/31/sunday-2-november-2014-feast-of-all-souls-31st-sunday-of-ordinary-time-first-reading/

Psalm :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/10/31/sunday-2-november-2014-feast-of-all-souls-31st-sunday-of-ordinary-time-psalm/

Second Reading :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/10/31/sunday-2-november-2014-feast-of-all-souls-31st-sunday-of-ordinary-time-second-reading/

Gospel Reading :
https://petercanisiusmichaeldavidkang.com/2014/11/01/sunday-2-november-2014-feast-of-all-souls-31st-sunday-of-ordinary-time-gospel-reading/