The Feast of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed | Thursday 2 November 2023

Today is Thursday 2 November, the Feast of the Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed, in the 30th week of Ordinary time.

The Monks of Glenstal Abbey sing Nos autem gloriari:


‘We should glory in nothing other than the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, in whom is our salvation, life and resurrection; through him we are saved and set free. May God have mercy upon us and bless us, may he make his face shine upon us and be merciful to us.’

Nos autem gloriari oportet
in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi:
In quo est salus, vita et resurrectio nostra:
Per quem salvati et liberati sumus.
Deus miseratur nostri, et benedicat nobis:
illuminet vultum suum super nos,
et misereatur nostri.


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

Romans 5:5-11

Hope does not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit that has been given to us.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us. Much more surely then, now that we have been justified by his blood, will we be saved through him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son, much more surely, having been reconciled, will we be saved by his life. But more than that, we even boast in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Today is the day when Christians of the Catholic tradition offer prayers for those who have died. In today’s first reading, Paul is trying to build an argument that you can trust God, because God always does what he has promised. So, in our reading, part of the argument is that Christ was willing even to die for us. How does this speak to you?

Then the next bit of the argument is that Christ “died for us even though we were sinners”. This is presumably meant to show how powerful God’s love is. Do you think that makes a difference to your understanding of God’s love?

The climax of this part of the argument is “we boast in God, through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation”. Do you ever find yourself “boasting” in God? What might life look like if you were to make this a regular practice?

Now listen as the passage is read once more for you. Is there one word or phrase that leaps off the page at you? What do you think God might be saying to you today?

Finally, see if you can bring together all the thoughts and reflections that have been in your mind as you contemplate this passage. Can you turn them into a prayer to God?

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.