All Saints 2024

Join us for our All Saints Day service on Sunday, November 3, 2024.

We have moved this High Holy Day to the nearest Sunday. The Mass will take place at 9 AM and include the Holy Eucharist celebration. You can attend in person, join us via our live stream, or watch the replay and listen to the podcast after the service.

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Hymns

• Opening Hymn: 287 For All the Saints
• Closing Hymn: 551 Raise Up, Ye saints of God

Scripture Readings For All Saints 2024

Old Testament: Wisdom of Solomon 3:1-9

The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and no torment will ever touch them. In the eyes of the foolish, they seemed to have died, and their departure was thought to be a disaster, and their going from us to be their destruction, but they are at peace. For though in the sight of others they were punished, their hope is full of immortality. Having been disciplined a little, they will receive great good, because God tested them and found them worthy of himself; like gold in the furnace he tried them, and like a sacrificial burnt offering he accepted them. In the time of their visitation they will shine forth, and will run like sparks through the stubble. They will govern nations and rule over peoples, and the Lord will reign over them forever. Those who trust in him will understand truth, and the faithful will abide with him in love, because grace and mercy are upon his holy ones, and he watches over his elect.

Psalm: Psalm 24

1 The earth is the Lord’s and all that is in it, *
the world and those who live in it;
2 for he has founded it on the seas *
and established it on the rivers.

3 Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord? *
And who shall stand in his holy place?
4 Those who have clean hands and pure hearts, *
who do not lift up their souls to what is false,
and do not swear deceitfully.
5 They will receive blessing from the Lord, *
and vindication from the God of their salvation.
6 Such is the company of those who seek him, *
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
7 Lift up your heads, O gates! *
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
8 Who is the King of glory? *
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle.
9 Lift up your heads, O gates! *
and be lifted up, O ancient doors!
that the King of glory may come in.
10 Who is this King of glory? *
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory.

Epistle: Revelation 21:1-6a

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “See, the home of God is among mortals. He will dwell with them; they will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them; he will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more; mourning and crying and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away.” And the one who was seated on the throne said, “See, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this, for these words are trustworthy and true.” Then he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end.”

Gospel: John 11:32-44

When Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she knelt at his feet and said to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was greatly disturbed in spirit and deeply moved. He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus began to weep. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man have kept this man from dying?”

Then Jesus, again greatly disturbed, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, already there is a stench because he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus looked upward and said, “Father, I thank you for having heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I have said this for the sake of the crowd standing here, so that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said this, he cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!” The dead man came out, his hands and feet bound with strips of cloth, and his face wrapped in a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Reflection on the Readings

The readings for All Saints Day invite us to reflect on the themes of resurrection, eternal life, and the communion of saints. The passage from the Wisdom of Solomon reminds us that the souls of the righteous are in God’s hands and that they are at peace, even if they appear to have died. This passage reminds us to trust in God’s promise of eternal life.

Psalm 24 celebrates God’s sovereignty over all creation and invites us to approach Him with pure hearts and sincere intentions. This passage assures us that those who seek God will receive His blessings and support. It calls us to open our hearts and minds to the “King of Glory,” the Lord who is strong, mighty, and victorious, reminding us of His power and presence among us.

This passage from Revelation describes a vision of a new heaven and earth where the old world has passed away. In this renewed creation, the holy city, New Jerusalem, descends from heaven, symbolizing God’s eternal presence with His people. God will dwell among them, ending all suffering, sorrow, and death. With the promise, “I am making all things new,” God affirms His role as the Alpha and the Omega—the beginning and the end—assuring us of His faithful renewal and ultimate triumph over death and pain.

The Gospel of John recounts the raising of Lazarus, demonstrating Jesus’ power over death and foreshadowing His resurrection. It challenges us to believe in the resurrection and to trust in Jesus as the source of life.

Join Us For All Saints 2024

We look forward to celebrating this special day with you. Whether you join us in person, online, or through our podcast, we welcome you to be part of our community as we remember and honor all the saints who have gone before us.