VII Day in the Octave of All Saints

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Editor’s note: reminder that anyone who devoutly visits a cemetery during the Octave (between November 1st and 8th), praying — even mentally — for the departed, may obtain one plenary indulgence per day, applicable only to the souls in Purgatory, under the usual conditions.

Above: photo credit.

From the Patristic readings at Matins in the Roman office:

℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May God the Father Omnipotent, be to us merciful and clement.
℟. Amen.

Reading 4
From the Sermons of St. John Chrysostom (Patriarch of Constantinople)
On the Martyrs.
He that wondereth with reverential love at the mighty deeds of the holy, he that hath oftentimes on his tongue praises for the glory of the righteous, let such a one copy their holy lives and their righteousness; for if any take pleasure in the work of a Saint, he ought to take pleasure in serving God as that Saint served Him. If he praiseth the Saint, he ought to imitate him, and if he is not ready to imitate him, he ought not to praise him. Let him that praiseth another make himself worthy of a like praise, and if he be in admiration of the Saints, let his own admirable life reflect the holiness of theirs. If we love the good and leal because they are good and leal, let us not forget that we can be what they are, by doing as they did.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

℟. The Fore-runner of the Lord cometh, to whom He Himself bare witness, saying:
* Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.
℣. A Prophet? Yea, and much more than a Prophet. This is he of whom the Saviour saith:
℟. Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist.

℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May Christ to all His people give, for ever in His sight to live.
℟. Amen.

Reading 5
It ought not to be hard for us to copy others, when we see what they of old time did without any examples before them, so that in them who copied not others, but set example for others to copy, and in us who copy them, and in them which take example by us, Christ may be glorified in His holy Church. Thus from the very beginning of the world there have been the harmless Abel who was slain, Enoch who walked with God, and was seen no more, for God took him, Noah who was found righteous, Abraham who was tried and found faithful, Moses who was the meekest of men, Joshua who was chaste, David who was gentle, Elijah who was accepted, Daniel who was holy, and the three Children who were victorious.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

℟. These are they who while yet they lived in the flesh, planted the Church in their own blood;
* They drank of the Lord’s cup, and became the friends of God.
℣. Their sound is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.
℟. They drank of the Lord’s cup, and became the friends of God.

℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Spirit’s fire Divine in our hearts enkindled shine.
℟. Amen.

Reading 6
The Apostles, the disciples of Christ, are held the teachers of believers. Confessors taught of them fight right manfully, the noble martyrs triumph, and the Christian army armed with the armour of God, ever prevaileth in warfare against the devil. All these have been men of like lealty, diverse warfarings, and glorious victories. And thou, O Christian, art but a carpet-knight, if thou thinkest to conquer without a fight, to triumph without a struggle. Nerve thyself, strive manfully, hit hard in the press. Consider thine engagement, look to thy state, know thine arm, even the engagement which thou hast taken, the state wherein thou art come, and the arm wherewith thou hast enrolled thyself a soldier.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

℟. O ye My Saints, who, being in the flesh, didst have striving
* I will render unto you a reward of your labours.
℣. Come, ye blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom
℟. I will render unto you a reward of your labours.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. I will render unto you a reward of your labours.

℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May the Gospel’s holy lection Be our safety and protection.
℟. Amen.

Reading 7
From the Holy Gospel according to Matthew
Matt 5:1-12
At that time Jesus seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain, and when he was set down, his disciples came unto him. And so on.

Homily by St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo.
Bk. i., on the Lord’s Sermon.
At the first step in blessedness is set forth, as was behoven, the kingdom of heaven, the realisation of the perfect and highest wisdom of the reasonable soul. Thus is it said Blessed are the poor in spirit, for their’s is the kingdom of heaven, as though it were said The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Then unto the meek is given an inheritance, as the legacy of a father to dutiful children. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Thirdly, there is comfort for such as mourn, knowing what they have lost, and what encompasseth them. Blessed are they that mourn (now), for they shall be comforted. Fourthly, the hungry and thirsty are promised that they shall be filled, a refreshment for the strugglers for life, and for the weary. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

℟. Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning;
* And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding.
℣. Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.
℟. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their lord, when he will return from the wedding.

℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. They whose feast-day we are keeping, be our Advocates with God.
℟. Amen.

Reading 8
Mercy is proclaimed unto the merciful, as unto them who have taken the true and best counsel how to obtain from Him that is Mightier than they what they that are weaker than they obtain from them. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy from God. Unto the pure in heart it pertaineth to see God, for their eye is clear to take in the things eternal. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. To the peacemakers it is given to be in the likeness and image of God, for these are the perfectly wise, created anew in the image of God, by the regeneration of the new man. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God. The foregoing are forms of blessedness which we believe can be thoroughly attained in this life. The Apostles, for instance, did, we believe, attain them. As for that entire change into the likeness of Angels, which is promised us when this life is done, no words can set it forth.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

℟. At midnight there was a cry made:
* Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.
℣. Trim your lamps, O ye wise virgins.
℟. Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.
℣. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, * and to the Holy Ghost.
℟. Behold, the Bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him.

℣. Grant, Lord, a blessing.
Benediction. May He that is the Angels’ King to that high realm His people bring.
℟. Amen.

Reading 9
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for their’s is the kingdom of heaven. In this eighth word, which returneth back again to the fountainhead and setteth forth the perfect crown of human blessedness, is contained perchance a mystic connection with the fact that it was upon the eighth day that the old Law commanded that circumcision should be performed, and that it was upon the day next after the Sabbath (being the seventh day) that the Lord rose again, the day whereon He so rose being thus the eighth day (had a week contained more than seven days) and the first day (as a matter of fact). There is perchance also a connection with the fact that we observe eight days (being from the Lord’s Day whereon He rose to the Lord’s Day in White both inclusive) in honour of the creation of the new man. And yet again there is perchance a connection with the number contained in (the name of) the Feast of Pentecost (which is, being interpreted, the Feast of the FiftiethDay). For this number of fifty days is reckoned (from that of the offering of the Sheaf of the Passover) by counting (seven weeks, that is to say) seven multiplied by seven, which is forty-nine, and thereto adding one, which joined with seven maketh eight, and so making full fifty. And thus borne backward to our fountainhead, the day whereon the Holy Ghost was sent down, we are borne unto the kingdom of heaven, and inherit the earth, and are comforted, and are filled, and obtain mercy, and are made pure, and are set at peace. And when we have thus been perfected within, we bear for truth’s and righteousness’ sake any troubles that may come upon us from without.
℣. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.
℟. Thanks be to God.

Te Deum