All Souls - Second of November 2021 - (EPISODE: 331)

All Souls - Second of November 2021 - (EPISODE: 331)

All Souls - Second November 2021
(EPISODE: 331)

Homily  ALL souls DAY.  2nd NOVEMBER. 

First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-9
Psalm: Ps 26: 1-4,7-9, 13-14. "I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living."
Second Reading:  Romans 5:5-11
Gospel Acclamation: Matthew 11:28  "This is the will of my father says the Lord, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given to me, and that I should raise it up on the last day."
Gospel: Mark 15:33-39; 16:1-6 (Year B)

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. stock photo ID: 827315317 -All Souls day. Flame from candles in lanterns and a protective mask on ground.-By Jaroslav Moravcik
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Please listen to the audio-recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily), for All Souls - Second November 2021 by clicking this link here:   https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/faith-hope-and-love-all-souls-2nd-nov-2021-episode-331/s-2gQeEhoiC1d?si=300cda2eff334b2eb6b2d52411876558   (EPISODE: 331)

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[Gospel values included in the readings: We can pray for our departed loved ones, friends, and all who went before us, just as we can pray to God for a friend who is still alive, for all are alive in Christ. Our hope and trust in God's love and mercy means that we know that God fulfils all his promises to us]

Praying for the souls of the dead is a tradition that goes back to Old Testament times, including the book of Maccabees. It is a grand and ancient tradition and a beautiful aspect of our faith.

The Catholic Church teaches us what we find also throughout the Scriptures -   God, (who lovingly formed each and every person), sees into our heart and knows what is to be found at the very core of our being.  

Today's commemoration goes to the heart of the nature of prayer..... 
Prayer is, in essence, a deep and loving conversation between us and God.  

Just as in ordinary conversations,  we can speak to our friends and ask them to spare a thought for and to help another friend or relative of ours,  so too we can continue to offer to speak confidently and lovingly in prayer to God for our fellow travellers, who have gone before us.

Jesus himself tells us. "I am the God of the living, not of the dead, for to God,  all are alive."

Who better to entrust and commend our dear departed loved ones, friends and colleagues, than the loving, merciful, just and eternal care of our compassionate God. For God is the one who formed them with love.... and walked with them every step of their life's journey...  and loved them like a doting parent...  God is love!!! ...  God who created everything from the dust...  and who never hates anything he created because he made it with love; and with love beyond telling.....   

We commend our departed loved ones and all souls to God, who understands us better than we even understand ourselves...  

It is God Who knows every situation, every circumstance, every hardship, every context to all our actions and decisions, and every blessing and grace of each person's life.  God sees and knows everything that made us free to make the decisions we made in our lives... and God also sees any and all circumstances that restricted us in our freedom to think and act too.....  // And amazingly, many times, we don't see those factors clearly - even in the events of our own lives! but God always does.  with the eyes of a loving parent. 

Our Lord shows us the heart of God towards all who mourn.  This heart is filled with unfathomable love and compassion. 

Our Lord himself knew what it was to mourn the loss of loved ones.  His beloved and faithful step-father Joseph passed away at some time in his young life.  It was a deep loss and sadness...   

As the Son of God, He must have been tempted to raise him back up...  but he did not. Instead, he entrusts his much beloved step-father to his Heavenly Father, who is always faithful and loving. 

Our Lord also wept at the death of Lazarus, even though he knew and utterly believed in the Resurrection and in the promises of Heaven ...  because he still keenly felt the pain of grief and loss and had compassion for people's suffering and grief around him too. Our Lord knows what it means to grieve deeply. 

We too can join with those in the first reading who acclaimed:  "See, this is the one in whom we trusted. IT is God in whom we hoped. And we were right to do so, for see, he has saved us!"  

In life, and in the life of each one of us, we come across sadness, tragedies, loss and disaster. Our hearts unite with Our Lord,  as we offer our prayers for all whose lives have been particularly marked with tragedy or disastrous pathways. 

Today's feast of ALL SOULS is a reminder that God is our Faithful shepherd. and a good loving parent.. who is never just content with saving the 99% of the flock...  but who will not rest and who keeps searching until the last sheep is recovered and carried back to be reunited with everyone else. 

Our Lord wants us to trust in him and come to him with all our burdens and worries...  for he is gentle and humble in heart... and promises rest for our souls...

Today we pray for all Holy Souls.  We are consoled and peaceful in the knowledge that we are praying and commending all these precious souls into the hands of the one who has the last and most loving say on the destiny of absolutely everything and everyone. 

Eternal rest grant unto them O Lord…. may perpetual light shine upon them… may they rest in peace..
 
May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.
Amen.
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References:
Fr Paul W. Kelly

Image Credit: Shutterstock Licensed. stock photo ID: 827315317 -All Souls day. The flame from candles in lanterns and protective mask on the ground.-By Jaroslav Moravcik

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All souls DAY -  2nd NOVEMBER. 
(EPISODE: 331)
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
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Brothers and sisters, let us acknowledge our sins,
and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the sacred mysteries.

I confess to almighty God and to you, my brothers and sisters, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault,* through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brothers and sisters, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
Lord have Mercy
Christ Have Mercy
Lord Have Mercy
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Memorial Acclamation
We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.
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Preface of the Dead I  - PREFACE

Euch prayer TWO  

(theme variation: 1 )
(pre+post variation: 3)

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Go in peace. (glorifying the Lord by your life)

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to my weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here.
 https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

You are welcome to subscribe to Fr Paul's homily mail-out by sending an email to this address: paulkellyreflections+subscribe@googlegroups.com

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:
"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection"  - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants  — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989,  and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009,  The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful -   " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'.   E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass In Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" -  By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

- "Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - in memory of  William John Kelly -     Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

- "Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

[ Production -  KER -  2021]

May God bless and keep you.
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