Feast
of All Saints
The Feast of All Saints is the celebration of our relationship with those
in the triumphant church - those who have preceded us in entry to heaven.
It began with local festivals in the early church. Ever since there were
Christian martyrs, local churches have honored their martyrs. Lists were
kept locally and feast days were held locally. Of course there were martyrs
who were not recorded for various reasons.
In the sixth century, Pope Boniface IV proclaimed May 13, 610, Feast of All Holy Martyrs held in Rome to honor all martyrs not listed in local records. In 835, Pope Gregory IV changed the date and name to November 1 and Feast of All Saints. A theory for the change in date is that since the feast was large and popular, it was easier to have a fall date to take advantage of the fall harvest for the food supply.
The change in the name of the event from Feast of All Holy Martyrs to Feast of All Saints probably became about because there was a change in the customs regarding who was listed as a "Saint." In the early years of the Church, only martyrs were given that title, but after the Roman persecutions ended the title was given to others who had led meritorious lives and who were credited with miraculous intercession.
(Ref: www.suite101.com)
All
Souls Day
All Soul's Day (sometimes called the "Day of the Dead") is November
2
All Soul's Day is a day of remembrance for friends and loved ones who have passed away. The day purposely follows All Saint's Day in order to shift the focus from those in heaven to those in purgatory. It is celebrated with masses and festivities in honor of the dead. While the Feast of All Saints is a day to remember the glories of Heaven and those there, the Feast of All Souls reminds us of our obligations to live holy lives and that there will be purification of the souls of those destined for Heaven.
The traditions of the Feast of All Souls began independently of the Feast of All Saints. The Feast of All Souls owes its beginning to seventh century monks who decided to offer the mass on the day after Pentecost for their deceased community members. In the late tenth century, the Benedictine monastery in Cluny chose to move their mass for their dead to November 2, the day after the Feast of all Saints. This custom spread and in the thirteenth century, Rome put the feast on the calendar of the entire Church. The date remained November 2 so that all in the Communion of the Saints might be celebrated together.
Many customs are associated with "The Day of the Dead" celebration. In the home an altar is made with an offering of food upon it. It is believed that the dead partake of the food in spirit and the living eat it later. The ofrendas (offerings) are beautifully arranged with flowers such as marigolds (zempasuchitl), which are the traditional flower of the dead. There is a candle placed for each dead soul, and they are adorned in some manner. Incense is also often used, and mementos, photos, and other remembrances of the dead also adorn the ofrenda.
It is also traditional in some areas to see the play Don Juan Tenorio. Paper mache and sugar skulls are popular, as are cardboard coffins from which a skeleton can be made to jump out. Special masks are also worn, allowing a person to achieve a facial expression for which they feel they are inadequate to achieve.
All Soul's Day lives on today, particularly in Mexico, where All Hallows' Eve, All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day are collectively observed as "Los Dias de los Muertos" (The Days of the Dead). First and foremost, the Days of the Dead is a time when families fondly remember the deceased. But it is also a time marked by festivities, including spectacular parades of skeletons and ghouls.
(Ref: www.all-souls-day.123holiday.net/ )
Beatitudes - Sermon on the Mount
Excerpts
from John Paul II
Friday, 24 March 2000--Mass for Youth Homily
Israel - Korazim, Mount of the Beatitudes
"Consider
your calling, brothers and sisters." (1 Cor 1:26)
Today these words of Saint Paul are addressed to all of us who have come here to the Mount of the Beatitudes. We sit on this hill like the first disciples, and we listen to Jesus. In the stillness, we hear his gentle and urgent voice, as gentle as this land itself and as urgent as a call to choose between life and death…
…The first to hear the Beatitudes of Jesus bore in their hearts the memory of another mountain - Mount Sinai. Just a month ago, I had the grace of going there, where God spoke to Moses and gave the Law, "written with the finger of God" (Ex 31:18) on the tablets of stone. These two mountains - Sinai and the Mount of the Beatitudes - offer us the roadmap of our Christian life and a summary of our responsibilities to God and neighbor. The Law and the Beatitudes together mark the path of the following of Christ and the royal road to spiritual maturity and freedom…
…. "Blessed are you!", he says, "all you who are poor in spirit, gentle and merciful, you who mourn, who care for what is right, who are pure in heart, who make peace, you who are persecuted! Blessed are you!" But the words of Jesus may seem strange. It is strange that Jesus exalts those whom the world generally regards as weak. He says to them, "Blessed are you who seem to be losers, because you are the true winners: the kingdom of heaven is yours!" Spoken by him who is "gentle and humble in heart" (Mt 11:29), these words present a challenge which demands a deep and abiding metanoia of the spirit, a great change of heart…
…In the end, Jesus does not merely speak the Beatitudes. He lives the Beatitudes. He is the Beatitudes. Looking at him you will see what it means to be poor in spirit, gentle and merciful, to mourn, to care for what is right, to be pure in heart, to make peace, to be persecuted. This is why he has the right to say, "Come, follow me!" He does not say simply, "Do what I say". He says, "Come, follow me!"
You hear his voice on this hill, and you believe what he says. But like the first disciples at the Sea of Galilee, you must leave your boats and nets behind, and that is never easy - especially when you face an uncertain future and are tempted to lose faith in your Christian heritage. To be good Christians may seem beyond your strength in today's world. But Jesus does not stand by and leave you alone to face the challenge. He is always with you to transform your weakness into strength. Trust him when he says: "My grace is enough for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Cor 12:9)!…
- Saint of the Day (americancatholic.org)
- Saints FAQ (catholic.org)
- Saints Calendar (catholic.org)
- Index of Saints (catholic.org)
- Patron Saints (catholic.org)
- Saints Fun Facts Archive (catholic.org)
- Saints Coloring Pages for Kids (coloringsaints.com)
- Beatitudes
- Catholic Encyclopedia (newadvent.org)
Text and commentary.
- Beatitudes
- Flash Movie (interviewwithgod.com)
The Beatitudes set to music and photos.
Related Catechism
& Bible Links
From
US Conference of Catholic Bishops Website
www.usccb.org