Comments on: All Souls http://liturgy.co.nz/all-souls/1830 Worship that works - spirituality that connects Mon, 21 May 2012 23:21:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Kat http://liturgy.co.nz/all-souls/1830#comment-2482 Kat Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:00:21 +0000 http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/?p=1830#comment-2482 I may be entirely incorrect, but is not the feast of All Souls dedicated to the holy souls in purgatory? It does not remind us of our communion with the Saints in God, but of the enduring - and real - connection between all who seek God. We are in (a mystical) communion with the repentant sinners, who are not yet one with God, not only those who are in communion with God (that is, as Saints or Angels). I think most Christians have an unfortunate tendency to forget that, myself included. Because we are in communion with the holy souls in a special way: we are not yet part of the communion of Saints, but that is what we are striving for. We pray to Saints for miracles and we pray for the holy souls in purgatory to be sped along quickly to heaven, but forget that we are still connected to them, that they don't exist in some nebulous in-between of the Church Suffering. Why don't we ask them to pray for us? After all, their petitions to God are closer to him than ours, because they have already begun thier upward ascention. We could pray for them particularly for strength in our own trials and struggles, that their ascent might infuse us with some of the same feelings that overcome suffering, and make them able to bear it, for the Glory of God. But I ramble. It's a trademark. I may be entirely incorrect, but is not the feast of All Souls dedicated to the holy souls in purgatory? It does not remind us of our communion with the Saints in God, but of the enduring – and real – connection between all who seek God. We are in (a mystical) communion with the repentant sinners, who are not yet one with God, not only those who are in communion with God (that is, as Saints or Angels). I think most Christians have an unfortunate tendency to forget that, myself included. Because we are in communion with the holy souls in a special way: we are not yet part of the communion of Saints, but that is what we are striving for. We pray to Saints for miracles and we pray for the holy souls in purgatory to be sped along quickly to heaven, but forget that we are still connected to them, that they don’t exist in some nebulous in-between of the Church Suffering. Why don’t we ask them to pray for us? After all, their petitions to God are closer to him than ours, because they have already begun thier upward ascention. We could pray for them particularly for strength in our own trials and struggles, that their ascent might infuse us with some of the same feelings that overcome suffering, and make them able to bear it, for the Glory of God.

But I ramble. It’s a trademark.

]]> By: Stephen Pare http://liturgy.co.nz/all-souls/1830#comment-2400 Stephen Pare Mon, 02 Nov 2009 08:13:54 +0000 http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/?p=1830#comment-2400 The Horizon prayer as far as I know was written by the Venerable Bede at least that was the source given in a book I borrowed some while ago. It is indeed beautiful and I use it around the commendation at funerals The Horizon prayer as far as I know was written by the Venerable Bede at least that was the source given in a book I borrowed some while ago. It is indeed beautiful and I use it around the commendation at funerals

]]> By: Edgar Wallace http://liturgy.co.nz/all-souls/1830#comment-2399 Edgar Wallace Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:34:04 +0000 http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/?p=1830#comment-2399 I love the "Horizon Prayer", as you call it and often use it at committals. Actually I'm not sure where I first ran across it. It seems to me that in many parishes, in the U.S. anyway, we combine All Saints and All Souls these days -- which actually seems more theologically correct to me. We all are saints through grace, not through our own merits. Today, (Sunday, 11/1) celebrated All Saints and prayed for the list of the departed -- we use several readers from various parts of the nave reading names all at the same time. It is always very moving. Is this combining of All Saints and All Souls common practice elsewhere in the communion? I love the “Horizon Prayer”, as you call it and often use it at committals. Actually I’m not sure where I first ran across it.
It seems to me that in many parishes, in the U.S. anyway, we combine All Saints and All Souls these days — which actually seems more theologically correct to me. We all are saints through grace, not through our own merits. Today, (Sunday, 11/1) celebrated All Saints and prayed for the list of the departed — we use several readers from various parts of the nave reading names all at the same time. It is always very moving. Is this combining of All Saints and All Souls common practice elsewhere in the communion?

]]> By: Frugal Dougal http://liturgy.co.nz/all-souls/1830#comment-2398 Frugal Dougal Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:26:00 +0000 http://www.liturgy.co.nz/blog/?p=1830#comment-2398 "Life is eternal; and love is immortal; and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing but the limit of our sight." Beautiful. “Life is eternal; and love is immortal;
and death is only a horizon; and a horizon is nothing but the limit of our sight.” Beautiful.

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