Pray, Remember, Hope

The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed

The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day. The following are a selection of the readings that may be chosen for this day. Please see Lectionary number 668 for the full selection of approved options.

Reading I Wisdom 3:1-9

The souls of the just are in the hand of God,
    and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead;
    and their passing away was thought an affliction
    and their going forth from us, utter destruction.
But they are in peace.
For if before men, indeed, they be punished,
    yet is their hope full of immortality;
chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
    because God tried them
    and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them,
    and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
In the time of their visitation they shall shine,
    and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
they shall judge nations and rule over peoples,
    and the Lord shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth,
    and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
because grace and mercy are with his holy ones,
    and his care is with his elect.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R.    (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R.    Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
    In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
    he refreshes my soul.
R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R.    Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
He guides me in right paths
    for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
    I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
    that give me courage.
R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R.    Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
You spread the table before me
    in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
    my cup overflows.
R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R.    Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
    all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
    for years to come.
R.    The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
or:
R.    Though I walk in the valley of darkness, I fear no evil, for you are with me.

Reading II Romans 5:5-11

Brothers and sisters:
Hope does not disappoint,
because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts
through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. 
For Christ, while we were still helpless,
died at the appointed time for the ungodly.
Indeed, only with difficulty does one die for a just person,
though perhaps for a good person
one might even find courage to die.
But God proves his love for us
in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us.
How much more then, since we are now justified by his Blood,
will we be saved through him from the wrath.
Indeed, if, while we were enemies,
we were reconciled to God through the death of his Son,
how much more, once reconciled,
will we be saved by his life.
Not only that,
but we also boast of God through our Lord Jesus Christ,
through whom we have now received reconciliation.

Or: Romans 6:3-9

Brothers and sisters:
Are you unaware that we who were baptized into Christ Jesus 
were baptized into his death?
We were indeed buried with him through baptism into death, 
so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead 
by the glory of the Father, 
we too might live in newness of life.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, 
we shall also be united with him in the resurrection.
We know that our old self was crucified with him, 
so that our sinful body might be done away with, 
that we might no longer be in slavery to sin.
For a dead person has been absolved from sin.
If, then, we have died with Christ,
we believe that we shall also live with him.
We know that Christ, raised from the dead, dies no more;
death no longer has power over him.

Alleluia Matthew 25:34

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, you who are blessed by my Father;
inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel John 6:37-40

Jesus said to the crowds:
“Everything that the Father gives me will come to me,
and I will not reject anyone who comes to me,
because I came down from heaven not to do my own will
but the will of the one who sent me.
And this is the will of the one who sent me,
that I should not lose anything of what he gave me,
but that I should raise it on the last day.
For this is the will of my Father,
that everyone who sees the Son and believes in him
may have eternal life,
and I shall raise him on the last day.”

- - -

Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Pray, Remember, Hope

November 2, 2026 // The Commemoration of All the Faithful Departed (All Souls)

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 6:37-40

Reflect on the Word // 

I sang and played piano for a funeral Mass recently. I have probably been to more funerals than the average person by being part of the music ministry at my parish. What continues to surprise me when I attend funerals of people I did not know, is how personal the liturgy is each time. The Church offers a beautiful liturgy not only to pray for the soul of the person who has died but also as an important and sacred ritual for the family and friends who mourn the loss of an important person in their lives. 

The personal aspect of the liturgy doesn’t usually come directly from the priest preaching the homily, the funeral directors who help in so many different ways, and it most definitely does not come from the music being played and sung. What makes the funeral liturgy feel so important and personal each time is Christ’s presence to those who mourn at such a difficult time. Through the liturgy of the funeral Mass, Jesus touches the hearts of the brokenhearted in intimate and beautiful ways. It’s usually evident on the faces of the family members in the front pews and in the changing intonation of the priest as he prays. 

When we hear Jesus say today that God the Father has promised, “that I should not lose anything of what he gave me, but that I should raise it on the last day” (John 6:39), we are given the promise that we are personally loved and tended to by Jesus. This care is not only while we are alive on earth but after we die as well (see John 6:40). Christ, through His Church, has not left us to walk through the difficulties of death alone. He has given us the sacred liturgies that help us process, remember, and commend the souls of our loved ones to Him, just as the Church gives us a solemn commemoration to pray for the souls of all our dearly departed today. In praying for the souls of those we have lost, let it bring them closer to Jesus and let it bring Jesus closer to us in our sorrow and grief.

Relate to the Lord // Remember today the loved ones you have lost and offer a prayer for their repose and the consolation of all who still mourn them. 

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