Feast of All Saints - 1st November
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Preparation
The Leader has prepared pictures of various saints to be placed around the room or closer together at the front. These should include St Mary (Mother of God), St Joseph, followed by any other Saints, Venerables, Servants of God, or other holy people, especially those with a connection to the school.
For each saint, the Leader has copied the picture and written the name of the saint on a small piece of paper. These are given out to various students around the room. They are privately instructed that when the candle is moved in front of the matching picture, they are to stand up and say the name of the saint.
There is a single lit candle in front of a crucifix or picture of Jesus at the centre front. A Reader and one Assistant is needed.
The response to the Call to Prayer is prepared on a slide, along with music if it is used.
Entrance Hymn
[To be played as people are arriving and faded out when they are ready to begin.]
Litany by Matt Maher (Journeysongs and available on Youtube)
Introduction
Leader :
Who inspires you?
Today we celebrate and give thanks for all the people who have gone before us with lives full of faith and love.
This All Saints Day is about everyone who has brightly reflected God’s goodness to our world. Some of them are canonised by the Church, but many are quiet achievers, only known to the people around them.
I wonder who inspires you to love God and your neighbour? And I wonder who you will inspire, as you spread God’s light all around you?
WE GATHER
Call to Prayer
Leader :
Happy are the poor in spirit;
All :
Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Opening Prayer
Leader :
Let us pray … (pause) …
God of grace, You share your holiness with us, your children. Help us to see holiness in others and in ourselves. Through Christ our Lord.
All :
Amen.
WE LISTEN
Scripture
Reader :
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Corinthians [1:2-8, abridged].
To those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, together with all those who in every place call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ:
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that has been given you in Christ Jesus, for in every way you have been enriched in him, in speech and knowledge of every kind, so that you are not lacking in any spiritual gift as you wait for the revealing of our Lord Jesus Christ. He will also strengthen you to the end, so that you may be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.
… (pause) …
WE RESPOND
Ritual Response
[The Assistant goes to the front and takes up the candle in front of the image of Jesus.]
Leader :
As you see, there are many saints who can inspire us around this room. We will now invoke their prayers to help us live good and holy lives in our own unique ways.
As the light of the candle is moved to each saint’s picture, the person with the corresponding image will stand up and say the name of the saint.
We will all respond with, “Pray for us.”
[The Assistant moves to stand in front of the picture of St Mary.]
Person 1 :
Saint Mary …
All :
Pray for us.
[The Assistant moves to stand in front of the picture of St Joseph.]
Person 2 :
Saint Joseph …
All :
Pray for us.
[The Assistant moves to stand in front of each picture in turn.]
Person :
Saint ….
All :
Pray for us.
[After all the saints have been invoked, the Assistant returns the candle to the image of Jesus.]
WE GO
Blessing
Leader :
May we be inspired by saints who have gone before us.
All :
Amen.
Leader :
May we live today in faith, hope and love.
All :
Amen.
Leader :
May we become saints for those who come after us.
All :
Amen.
Dismissal
Leader :
And let us go now to reflect God’s light to all the world.
All :
Thanks be to God!
Sending Forth hymn suggestions
- Go Make a Difference by Steve Angrisano and Tom Tomaszek (AOV NextGen)
- Dreams and Visions by Andrew Tanner (AOV 2)