This Tuesday at The Family Foundation School, instead of having our usual Jewish service, Father Chris came in to celebrate All Saints Day in the Catholic tradition. In the Christian tradition, Halloween is just the vigil before All Saints Day, and following customs, on vigils before feast days, Christians mock evil because it has no power over them.
During the service, The Family Foundation School community prayed to all the saints, known and unknown, to intercede for their prayers. Wednesday will be All Souls Day, where people pray for their loved ones who passed away. In several different cultures, this day is known as the Day of the Dead, and relatives who have passed on are prayed for in commemoration and celebration of their lives. All Souls Day is essentially a day where the living pray for the purification of their loved ones’ souls so that they may go enter heaven.
Father, All-Powerful and ever-living God,
today we rejoice in the holy men and women
of every time and place.
May their prayers bring us your forgiveness and love
We ask this in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
From the Liturgy of the Hours
