Many are going to be celebrating All Saints’ Sunday on October 31
Eastern churches celebrate All Saints on the first Sunday after Pentecost.
The first All Saints’ Day occurred on May 13, 609 (C.E.) when Boniface IV, bishop of Rome, accepted the Pantheon as a gift from the Emperor Phocas. This became the Church of Santa Maria Rotonda, honouring the Blessed Virgin and all martyrs. In the time of Gregory III (731-741), this began to include all the saints and a chapel in St. Peter’s church was so dedicated. Gregory IV further expanded this celebration in 837.
collect/opening prayer reflection All Saints Sunday October 31 and November 1
Obviously the collect is for the feast day – not for the week following, during which the collect for the Sunday this replaces is used
My reflection on All Saints – the Beatitudes
During the week is Halloween.
Halloween is a shortening of All Hallows Eve, the Eve of All Hallows, All Saints. Christians traditionally start celebrating a significant festival on the eve of the feast. A good example is Christmas Eve. All Saints is now often regarded as such an important feast that it is moved to Sunday so that it can be celebrated when most Christians gather together.
The All Saints’ collect, of course, is only for the feast day and not used for the days following it. So the collect for the week is:
Almighty and merciful God,
it is your gift alone
by which your faithful people
offer you true and laudable service,
grant, we beseech you,
that we may run, without stumbling, towards your promises;
through Jesus Christ
who is alive with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God now and for ever.
Amen.
This is my version of the collect – please give me feedback about it. The collect is shared by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, and others. If All Saints’ is not celebrated on Sunday, then, of course, this is the collect for Sunday.
• collect/opening prayer reflection for October 30 and the week following (TEC BCP and Roman Catholics)
• collect/opening prayer reflection for October 30 and the week following (NZPB)
• collect/opening prayer reflection for October 30 and the week following (CofE Common Worship)
Textweek resources for the Ordinary Sunday
scripture readings for the Ordinary Sunday
Commentary on the Sunday reading from Waiapu Academy
Please add ideas for sermons, hymns, etc.
