Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, All Souls' Day | Wednesday 2 November 2022

Today is Wednesday the 2nd of November, the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed. All Souls.

Ex Cathedra, directed by Jeffrey Skidmore, sing Versa est in luctum by Alonso Lobo. Versa est in luctum: My harp is tuned for sorrow. ‘Tuning your harp for sorrow’ is a conscious, deliberate preparation for sadness to come.


Versa est in luctum cithara mea,
et organum meum in vocem flentium.
Parce mihi Domine,
nihil enim sunt dies mei.


My harp is turned to grieving
and my flute to the voice of those who weep.
Spare me, O Lord,
for my days are as nothing.

Today’s reading is from St Paul’s letter to the Romans.


Romans 12:9-16

Let love be genuine; hate what is evil, hold fast to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; outdo one another in showing honour. Do not lag in zeal, be ardent in spirit, serve the Lord. Rejoice in hope, be patient in suffering, persevere in prayer. Contribute to the needs of the saints; extend hospitality to strangers.

Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. Live in harmony with one another; do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly; do not claim to be wiser than you are.

Today the Church remembers all those who have died, and in this reading remembers them in the context of genuine love. Remember before God, for a few moments, people you love who have died.

“Hold fast to what is good”, Paul tells us here. What particular good memories do you have of the people you have been remembering?

Paul offers 21 commands, or perhaps pieces of advice, in this short passage. As it is read again, pick just one of these as a focus for the rest of this prayer.

Finally, take a moment or two to speak to God about the command or advice that you chose. Why is it important to you, and what would you have to do to follow it?

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.