Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Oct 27 - St Odhran / Otteran (d. 548) monk / patron of Waterford
Saint of the Day: Oct 27; –St Otteran, monk
Summary: St Otteran, monk, a descendant of Conall Gulban, is usually identified with Odhran who preceded Colum Cille in Iona. His death is recorded in 548 and his grave was greatly revered in Iona. He was chosen by the Vikings as patron of the city of Waterford in 1096 and later patron of the diocese.
St Otteran is variously described as a son or a companion or a predecessor of St Columba on the island of Iona, where there is a graveyard in his honour, the "Reilg Odhráin". He is also the principal patron of the diocese of Waterford, having been chosen for that honour by the Vikings. They had buried some of their dead on Iona and were the first occupiers of Waterford city.
Patrick Duffy looks at his story.
Foundation Sacrifice?
An ugly tale of belief in foundation sacrifice involving St Odhran (pronounced Oran) and Colmcille is told in the Hebridean islands. Colmcille had a son whose name was Odhran from whom the chapel of St Odhran on Iona takes its name.
The tradition is that, when this chapel was being erected, no matter what the workers did or how well they worked, every morning all that had been built the previous day was thrown down. At last a voice came to Colmcille telling him that the only way to get the chapel completed was to bury a living man under its foundation; otherwise it would never be finished. Colmcille decided that no one could be better to put under the foundation than his own son and proceeded to build on top of it.
One day, however, Odhran raised his head, and pushing it through the wall, said: "There is no hell as you suppose, nor heaven that people talk about." This alarmed Colmcille, in case Odhran should communicate more of the secrets of the other world. He had the body removed at once and buried in consecrated ground and St Odhran never again troubled anyone.
Companion of Colmcille?
A descendant of Conall Gulban, the Irish king, son of Niall Naoi nGiallach, who founded the kingdom of Tír Conaill in the 5th century, Odhran is said to have been an abbot in Meath and to have preceded or accompanied Colmcille to Iona. The Irish Martyrologies tell us plainly enough that the saint of that name honoured on October 27th was a monk of Hy, a kinsman of St. Columba, and that he worked in Iona evangelising the people of Scotland.
Titular Guardian of Viking ancestors' ashes
Otteran’s death is recorded as being in 548 AD and his grave was greatly revered in Iona. He was the first person to be buried in the monastic cemetery to which the Vikings carried their dead chieftains and great men for burial from all parts of Europe. The Vikings chose Odhran, the titular guardian of their ancestors’ ashes, (Otteran is its more commonly anglicised form) as patron of Waterford city in 1096. Later he was chosen as patron of the diocese.
Killotteran
Killotteran is the name of a civil parish two miles west of Waterford City and derives its name from the townland on which stood an ancient church, the church of Odran.
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Summary: St Otteran, monk, a descendant of Conall Gulban, is usually identified with Odhran who preceded Colum Cille in Iona. His death is recorded in 548 and his grave was greatly revered in Iona. He was chosen by the Vikings as patron of the city of Waterford in 1096 and later patron of the diocese.
St Otteran is variously described as a son or a companion or a predecessor of St Columba on the island of Iona, where there is a graveyard in his honour, the "Reilg Odhráin". He is also the principal patron of the diocese of Waterford, having been chosen for that honour by the Vikings. They had buried some of their dead on Iona and were the first occupiers of Waterford city.
Patrick Duffy looks at his story.
Foundation Sacrifice?
An ugly tale of belief in foundation sacrifice involving St Odhran (pronounced Oran) and Colmcille is told in the Hebridean islands. Colmcille had a son whose name was Odhran from whom the chapel of St Odhran on Iona takes its name.
The tradition is that, when this chapel was being erected, no matter what the workers did or how well they worked, every morning all that had been built the previous day was thrown down. At last a voice came to Colmcille telling him that the only way to get the chapel completed was to bury a living man under its foundation; otherwise it would never be finished. Colmcille decided that no one could be better to put under the foundation than his own son and proceeded to build on top of it.
One day, however, Odhran raised his head, and pushing it through the wall, said: "There is no hell as you suppose, nor heaven that people talk about." This alarmed Colmcille, in case Odhran should communicate more of the secrets of the other world. He had the body removed at once and buried in consecrated ground and St Odhran never again troubled anyone.
Companion of Colmcille?
A descendant of Conall Gulban, the Irish king, son of Niall Naoi nGiallach, who founded the kingdom of Tír Conaill in the 5th century, Odhran is said to have been an abbot in Meath and to have preceded or accompanied Colmcille to Iona. The Irish Martyrologies tell us plainly enough that the saint of that name honoured on October 27th was a monk of Hy, a kinsman of St. Columba, and that he worked in Iona evangelising the people of Scotland.Titular Guardian of Viking ancestors' ashesOtteran’s death is recorded as being in 548 AD and his grave was greatly revered in Iona. He was the first person to be buried in the monastic cemetery to which the Vikings carried their dead chieftains and great men for burial from all parts of Europe. The Vikings chose Odhran, the titular guardian of their ancestors’ ashes, (Otteran is its more commonly anglicised form) as patron of Waterford city in 1096. Later he was chosen as patron of the diocese.
Killotteran
Killotteran is the name of a civil parish two miles west of Waterford City and derives its name from the townland on which stood an ancient church, the church of Odran.
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Memorable Saying for Today
A people without the knowledge
of their past history, origin and culture
is like a tree without roots.
~ Marcus Garvey ~
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Liturgical Readings for: Tuesday, 27th October, 2026
Tuesday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Saint of the Day: Oct 27; –St Otteran, monk
C/f A short look at these saint’s lives can be found below todays' Readings and Reflection
FIRST READING
A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Ephesians 5:21-33
This mystery has many implications for Christ and the Church.
Give way to one another in obedience to Christ. Wives should regard their husbands as they regard
the Lord, since as Christ is head of the Church and saves the whole body, so is a husband the head of his wife; and as the Church submits to Christ, so should wives to their husbands, in everything. Husbands should love their wives just as Christ loved the Church and sacrificed himself for her to make her holy. He made her clean by washing her in water with a form of words, so that when he took her to himself she would be glorious, with no speck or wrinkle or anything like that, but holy and faultless. In the same way, husbands must love their wives as they love their own bodies; for a man to love his wife is for him to love himself. A man never hates his own body, but he feeds it and looks after it; and that is the way Christ treats the Church, because it is his body-and we are its living parts.
For this reason, a man must leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one body. This mystery has many implications; but I am saying it applies to Christ and the Church. To sum up; you too, each one of you, must love his wife as he loves himself; and let every wife respect her husband.
The Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 127: 1-5. R/v 1.
Response O blessed are those who fear the Lord!
1. O blessed are those who fear the Lord and walk in his ways!
By the labour of your hands you shall eat. You will be happy and prosper. Response
2. Your wife like a fruitful vine in the heart of your house;
your children like shoots of the olive around your table. Response
3. Indeed thus shall be blessed the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion all the days of your life! Response
Gospel Acclamation Jn 15: 15
Alleluia, alleluia!
I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you everything I have learnt from my Father.
Alleluia!
Or Mt 11: 25
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for revealing the mysteries of the kingdom to mere children.
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke 13:18-21
The seed grew and became a tree
Jesus said, 'What is the kingdom of God like? What shall I compare it with? It is like a mustard seed which a man took and threw into his garden: it grew and became a tree, and the birds of the air sheltered in its branches.'Another thing he said,
'What shall I compare the kingdom of God with? It is like the yeast a woman took and mixed in with three measures of flour till it was leavened all through.'
The Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ
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Gospel Reflection Tuesday Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 13:18-21
In today’s gospel Jesus takes an image from the world of men and the world of women in that culture, a man who takes a mustard seed and throws it in his garden and a woman who takes some yeast and mixes it in with three measures of flour. In each case the small gesture produces significant results. The mustard seed becomes a tree where the birds find shelter; the yeast mixing with the flour produces bread which satisfies human hunger. These are images, Jesus declares, of the kingdom of God. Jesus seems to be saying that the coming of God’s kingdom is not always about grand gestures.
The coming of God’s kingdom, the doing of God’s will on earth as in heaven, is often to be found in what to an outside observer seems small and insignificant. Jesus is suggesting that God can work powerfully through the smallest gestures, when they reflect something of God’s Spirit. God is present in our world in and through our small acts of kindness, through our largely unnoticed actions of caring for one another. Jesus would say that even the giving of a cup of cold water has significance beyond our imagining. The eternal can be present in the simplest of gestures. Our daily efforts to be faithful to the gospel in small ways can have consequences that would surprise us. The miraculous is all around us, working through our smallest efforts at goodness, if we have eyes to see.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman & Todd Ltd. and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Saint of the Day: Oct 27; –St Otteran, monk
St Otteran, a monk, a descendant of Conall Gulban, is usually identified with 'Odhran' who preceded Colum Cille in Iona. His death is recorded in 548 and his grave was greatly revered in Iona. He was chosen by the Vikings as patron of the city of Waterford in 1096 and later patron of the diocese.
St Otteran is variously described as a son or a companion or a predecessor of St Columba on the island of Iona, where there is a graveyard in his honour, the "Reilg Odhráin". He is also the principal patron of the Diocese of Waterford, having been chosen for that honour by the Vikings. They had buried some of their dead on Iona and were the first occupiers of Waterford city.
Patrick Duffy looks at his story.
Foundation Sacrifice?
An ugly tale of belief in foundation sacrifice involving St Odhran (pronounced Oran) and Colmcille is told in the Hebridean islands. Colmcille had a son whose name was Odhran from whom the chapel of St Odhran on Iona takes its name.
The tradition is that, when this chapel was being erected, no matter what the workers did or how well they worked, every morning all that had been built the previous day was thrown down. At last a voice came to Colmcille telling him that the only way to get the chapel completed was to bury a living man under its foundation; otherwise it would never be finished. Colmcille decided that no one could be better to put under the foundation than his own son and proceeded to build on top of him.
One day, however, Odhran raised his head, and pushing it through the wall, said: "There is no hell as you suppose, nor heaven that people talk about." This alarmed Colmcille, in case Odhran should communicate more of the secrets of the other world. He had the body removed at once and buried in consecrated ground and St Odhran never again troubled anyone.
Companion of Colmcille?
A descendant of Conall Gulban, the Irish king, son of Niall Naoi nGiallach, who founded the kingdom of Tír Conaill in the 5th century, Odhran is said to have been an abbot in Meath and to have preceded or accompanied Colmcille to Iona. The Irish Martyrologies tell us plainly enough that the saint of that name honoured on October 27th was a monk of Hy, a kinsman of St. Columba, and that he worked in Iona evangelising the people of Scotland.Titular Guardian of Viking ancestors' ashesOtteran’s death is recorded as being in 548 AD and his grave was greatly revered in Iona. He was the first person to be buried in the monastic cemetery to which the Vikings carried their dead chieftains and great men for burial from all parts of Europe. The Vikings chose Odhran, the titular guardian of their ancestors’ ashes, (Otteran is its more commonly anglicised form) as patron of Waterford city in 1096. Later he was chosen as patron of the diocese.
Killotteran
Killotteran is the name of a civil parish two miles west of Waterford City and derives its name from the townland on which stood an ancient church, the church of Odran.
******************************
Memorable Saying for Today
A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture
is like a tree without roots.
~ Marcus Garvey ~
******************************
Liturgical Readings for: Tuesday, 27th October, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as an céad Litir Naomh Pól chuig na hEifísigh 5:21-33
Is mór an rúndiamhair í seo, ach is á tagairt atáimse do Chríost agus don Eaglais.
A bhráithre, bígí géilliúil dá chéile le hómós do Chríost. Bíodh na mná umhal dá gcuid fear mar a bheidís don Tiarna, mar tá an fear ina cheann ar a bhean ar nós mar atá Críost ina cheann ar an Eaglais agus ina shlánaitheoir ar an gcorp. Faoi mar atá an Eaglais faoi smacht Chríost, ar an dála céanná bíodh na mná faoi smacht a gcuid fear i ngach ní.
A fheara, bíodh grá agaibhse do bhur mná faoi mar a bhí grá ag Críost don Eaglais agus thug suas é féin ar a son d’fhonn í a choisreacan do Dhia. Rinne sé í a íonglanadh le briathar i bhfothragadh an uisce d’fhonn í réiteach dó féin ina hEaglais niamhrach, gan smál ná roc uirthi ná aon ní dá shórt ach í naofa gan cháim. Go deimhin, tá d’fhiacha ar na fir a mná a ghráú mar a ghráíonn siad a gcolainn féin, mar an té a thugann grá dá bhean is dó féin a thugann sé grá. Ní raibh aon duine riamh a thug fuath dá cholainn féin; is amhlaidh a dhéanann sé í a chothú agus a chumhdach faoi mar a dhéanann Críost don Eaglais, de bhrí gur baill dá chorp sinne. “Mar sin de, fágfaidh duine a athair agus a mháthair chun bheith dlúth i bpáirt lena bhean agus aon cholainn amháin a bheidh sa bheirt acu.” Is mór an rúndiamhair í seo, ach is á tagairt atáimse do Chríost agus don Eaglais. Ar aon chuma grádh gach duine agaibhse a bhean mar é féin agus tugadh an bhean ómós dá fear.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 127: 1-5. R/v 1.
Freagra Is aoibhinn do chách lenarb eagal an Tiarna.
1. Is aoibhinn do chách lenarb eagal an Tiarna, agus a shiúlann ina shlite.
Íosfaidh tú toradh de shaothair féin; beidh tú go sona séanmhar. Freagra
2. Beidh do bhean chéile mar fhíniúin thorthúil, i gceartlár do thí.
Beidh do chlann mar bhuinneáin crainn olóige, mórthimpeall do bhoird. Freagra
3. Is amhlaidh a bheannófar an duinear a mbíonn eagla an Tiarna.
Go mbeannaí an Tiarna thú amach as Síón; gach uile lá de do shaol. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 13:18-21 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Fás an gráinne agus rinne crann mór de agus chuaigh éanlaith an aeir ar foscadh ina chraobhacha.
Dúirt Íosa:
“Cad leis a bhfuil ríocht Dé cosúil? Cad leis a gcuirfidh mé I gcomparáid í? Tá sí cosúil le gráinne de shíol mustaird a thóg duine agus a chaith sé uaidh ina gharraí, agus d’fhás sé agus rinne crann mór de agus chuaigh éanlaith an aeir ar foscadh ina chraobhacha.”
Agus dúirt sé arís:
“Cad leis a gcuirfidh mé ríocht Dé i gcomparáid? Tá sí cosúil le gabháil a thóg bean agus a d’fholaigh sí i dtrí peice plúir nó go raibh sé gabh áilte ar fad.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 1st November, 2026
Saturday, Nov. 1 - Solemnity of All Saints
Disciples of the Lord sanctified by the Lord, now and in glory
Feast of the Day; Nov 1 ; All Saints; All those people who who have gone before us, or are still with us on our journey of faith.
C/f A short history of today’s Feast can be found below today’s Readings and Reflection.
FIRST READING
A reading from the book of the Apocalypse 7:2-4. 9-14
I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people of every nation, race, tribe and language.
I, John saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God;he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea,
'Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees,
until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.'
Then I heard how many were sealed:
a hundred and forty four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.
After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud,
'Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'
And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words,
'Amen.
Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength
be to our God for ever and ever.
Amen.'
One of the elders then spoke, and asked me,
'Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?'
I answered him, 'You can tell me, my Lord.'
Then he said, 'These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb'.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23: 1-6. R/v v6
Response Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord
1.The Lord's is the earth and its fullness, the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas; on the waters he made it firm. Response
2. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, who desires not worthless things. Response
3. He shall receive blessings from the Lord and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, seek the face of the God of Jacob. Response
SECOND READING
A reading from the first letter of St John 3:1-3
We shall see God as he really is.
Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
by letting us be called God's children; and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him, therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed we shall be like him because we shall see him as he really is. Surely everyone who entertains this hope must purify himself,
must try to be as pure as Christ.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation Mt 11: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened,
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew 5:1-12 Glory to you, O Lord.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.
Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples.
Then he began to speak, this is what he taught them:
How happy are the poor in spirit; theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle: they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn: they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right: they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful: they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart: they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right: theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
'Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account.
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven;
this is how they persecuted the prophets before you.'
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
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Gospel Reflection November 1 Feast of All Saints Matthew 5:1-12
The feast of All Saints begins the month of November. It is a month when we remember in a special way our loved ones who have died. Whenever we have a brush with death, either because of some serious illness in ourselves or because of the death of a loved one, important questions are often raised for us. We may find ourselves asking,
What is beyond this earthly life?’ ‘What is our ultimate destination?’,
‘What is the path that leads to this final goal of our journey?’
‘In what way should our ultimate destination impact on the way I live my life here and now?’
This feast of All Saints invites us to engage with these questions.
The ‘Saints’ referred to in the title of today’s feast are all those women and men who have reached that ultimate goal of eternal life for which God has created us. They are those who have lived in a way that was in keeping with that final destiny.
These ‘Saints’ are also those who are still with us in this earthly life and who are now living in the way that leads to life eternal. In that sense, the group we call ‘all Saints’ embraces both those who are with God in heaven, the ‘huge number’ spoken of in the first reading, and people who are all around us now. All three of the readings for this feast speak of our ultimate destiny in different ways. Saint John in the second reading declares, ‘what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed’. In other words, there is a necessary ‘not knowing’ when it comes to life beyond this earthly life. Saint Paul is of this same view. In his first letter to the Corinthians, he writes, ‘no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him’ (1 Cor 2:9). Yet, this healthy agnosticism about life beyond this earthly life does not stop the writers of the New Testament from speaking about it.
In that second reading, having declared what we 'don’t' know about this life beyond earthly life, Saint John states what we do know, ‘all we know is, that… we shall be like God, for we shall see him as he really is’. Elsewhere in his letter, Saint John tells us who God really is. In one of the most profound statements about God, he declares ‘God is Love’. Beyond this earthly life, according to Saint John, we shall see God as Love. The verb ‘to see’ there is obviously being used in a different way to how we see in our earthly, physical body. When the writers of the New Testament speak about what eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, they have to use language drawn from this earthly life, as it is the only language they have. Saint John is expressing his conviction that beyond this earthly life, we will come to experience God as Love.
It will be an encounter with Love at its most complete. Furthermore, John declares, this encounter with God as Love will have a transforming effect on us. ‘We shall be like God, because we shall see him as he is’. There is a sense in which, even in this earthly life, we become what we observe. Saint John is suggesting that in seeing God as Love beyond this earthly life, we will become loving in the way God is loving. It could be said that our ultimate destiny is to become fully alive with the life of God, which is a life of Love.
If that is our ultimate destiny, then the path to that destiny is to grow more and more into the loving person we are destined to become. Such growth in love is not just 'our' work. It is ultimately God’s work in our lives, the work of the Holy Spirit, with which we co-operate. At the beginning of that second reading, Saint John calls on us to ‘think of the love that the Father has lavished on us, by letting us be called God’s children’. As we think of God the Father’s lavish love for us, as we open our hearts to that love, we are empowered to become more loving, more alive with God’s life of love, the life of the Spirit. The beatitudes which Jesus speaks in the gospel reading are his portrait of this loving person, the disciple who is on the way to becoming as loving as God. Such a person will have something of the gentleness of Christ, will reflect his merciful love to others, will mourn over our broken world and will work to bring God’s justice and peace to that world, even if it means being persecuted in the process. Such a person will do all this out of a poverty of spirit and a purity of heart, recognizing their dependence on God for everything, and seeking God’s glory in all things rather than their own glory. This is Jesus’ portrait of the living saint.
We might recognize such saints among us; we might even occasionally catch a glimpse of such a one when we look into the mirror! To those who are seeking to grow into this portrait of the saint, Jesus promises the gift of the kingdom of heaven, which he variously describes in those beatitudes as being comforted, being satisfied, experiencing God’s mercy and seeing God.
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The Scripture Readings are taken from The Jerusalem Bible, published 1966 by Darton, Longman and Todd Ltd and used with the permission of the publishers. http://dltbooks.com/
The Scripture Reflection is made available with our thanks from his book Reflections on the Weekday Readings : The Word is near to you, on your lips and in your heart by Martin Hogan and published by Messenger Publications , c/f www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
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Feast of the Day: November 1; All Saints of the World
Today is the 'Solemnity of All Saints' or 'All Saint's Day'. It commemorates all those who have gone before us and are now with God in heaven. 'The ultimate object of veneration of the Saints is the glory of God and the sanctification of people by conforming their lives fully to the divine will and by imitating the virtues of those who were pre-eminently disciples of the Lord.' ....(Directory on Popular piety and the Liturgy, n. 212. ,)
Patrick Duffy
The Solemnity of All Saints is probably of Eastern origin. In the early centuries Christians celebrated the anniversary of a martyr's death for Christ at the place of martyrdom. In the early fourth century, following the persecution of Diocletian, martyrs became so many that a separate day could not be assigned to each and the Church assigned a common day for all, celebrated in the East on the first Sunday after Pentecost: there are homilies for this feast by St Ephrem the Syrian (373) and St John Chrysostom (407).
Developments in Rome
In the West the Byzantine Emperor Phocas (602-610) handed over to Pope Boniface IV (608-615) the Pantheon in Rome, originally built as a temple to all the Roman gods. On 13 May 610, Pope Boniface dedicated it as a church to St Mary and all the martyrs. But the anniversary was fixed for 1st November by Pope Gregory III (731-741) who consecrated a chapel to all the saints in St Peter's Basilica.
In Ireland and England
The 9th century Irish Martyrology of Aengus (828-833) has a feast for All Saints on 1 November. The feast became known in England and Ireland as All Hallows, from which we get Hallowe'en (the evening before All Hallows Day). It also took on some of the characteristics of the Celtic feast of Samhain. (c/f Féile na Samhna: an bhunchiall.)
Who is Included?
The scope of the feast includes all those officially recognised as saints,
and those whose cause for canonisation has not yet been completed.
It includes those whose holy lives were known only to their family, friends or religious communities.
Chapter V of the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church Lumen Gentium of Vatican II is entitled "The Call to Holiness" and insists that the "(LG 40). All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of love."
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Fr Martin Hogan writes this reflection of the day in The Word of God is Living and Active published by Messenger Publications, www.messenger.ie/bookshop/
A lot of people do not like large gatherings. They find big crowds exhausting. Today’s feast, however, is precisely about crowds of people. The first reading expresses it well, ‘a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language’. Today is the feast not just of a few chosen saints, but of all saints. Today we honour all the saints, those who are formally canonised and those who are not.
If our vision of humanity is shaped exclusively by the media we might be tempted to think that there are a lot more villains out there than saints. It is reassuring to be reminded by today’s feast that there exists a huge number of saints, impossible to count. In the words of the letter to the Hebrews, we are surrounded by a ‘great cloud of witnesses’. None of us can live as the Lord wants us to live purely on our own. We need the good example of others to inspire us and to show us what is possible.
Today’s feast declares that we are surrounded by such a cloud of witnesses, if only we could recognise them. Some of these people have already passed beyond us and are now ‘standing in front of the throne of the Lamb’, in the words of today’s first reading. Many of them, however, are our companions on the journey of life. They do not look at all like the statues in our churches. They are very ordinary, yet they are also very special. These are the people we are grateful to have met and to have around.
The feast of All Saints encourages us to believe that any one of us could be part of that huge number, impossible to count. In that sense, today’s feast is about every one of us. John, in today’s second reading, is speaking about all of us when he declares that ‘We are already the children of God’, and that, in the future, ‘we shall be like’ God. We are all destined for sainthood. God intends that all of us would be conformed to the image of God’s Son. For most of us, that will only come to pass fully beyond this life. Yet, because we are already sons and daughters of God through Baptism, we are called to grow now towards that wonderful transformation that awaits us.
The road to sainthood begins here, wherever we happen to find ourselves.
In today’s gospel reading, Jesus shows us what that road to sainthood looks like.
In the Beatitudes, Jesus painted a portrait of himself, the living saint par excellence. He was also painting a portrait of the person that we are all called to become. The Beatitudes give us different facets of the person of Jesus, while at the same time showing us different ways in which we might reflect the person of Jesus.
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Memorable Saying for Today
“We are all called to live our lives with love and by bearing witness in everything we do.
“Do not be afraid of this holiness.
It will take away none of your energy, vitality or joy.” - Rather it will add to them.
~ unknown author ~
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Liturgical Readings for: Sunday, 1st November, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHT Sliocht as leabhar An Apacailipsis 7:2-4. 9-14
Chonaic mé mathshlua mór nárbh fhéidir d’aon duine a chomhaireamh as gach cine agus treibh agus pobal agus teanga
Ansin chonaic mé aingeal eile ag gabháil suas ó éirí gréine agus séala le Dia beo aige, agus ghlaoigh sé in ard a ghutha ar na ceithre aingeal ar ar cuireadh de chúram dochar a dhéanamh do thalamh agus do mhuir, agus dúirt sé:“Ná déanaigí dochar do thalamh ná do mhuir ná do na crainn nó go gcuirfimid séala ar chláréadan sheirbhísigh Dé.”
Agus chuala mé líon na ndaoine ar cuireadh an séala orthu, céad agus daichead a ceathair míle agus iad as gach treibh de chlann Iosrael.
Ina dhiaidh sin b’shiúd an mathshlua mór nárbh fhéidir le haon duine a chomhaireamh as gach cine agus treibh agus pobal agus teanga; bhí siad ina seasamh os comhair na ríchathaoireach agus os comhair an Uain, iad gléasta in éidí geala agus craobhacha pailme acu ina lámha. Agus bhí siad ag glaoch de ghlór ard:
“Slánú dár nDia a shuíonn sa ríchathaoir agus don Uan!”
Bhí na haingil go léir ina seasamh mórthimpeall na ríchathaoireach agus na seanóirí agus na gceithre dhúil, agus chaith siad iad féin ar a n-aghaidh os comhair na ríchathaoireach ag adhradh Dé á rá: “Amen. Beannacht agus glóir agus eagna agus buíochas agus onóir agus cumhacht agus neart dár nDia go deo deo. Amen.”
Ansin labhair duine de na seanóirí agus dúirt sé liom: “Iad seo atá gléasta in éidí geala, cé hiad féin agus cad as ar tháinig siad?”
Dúirt mé mar fhreagra air: “A Thiarna liom, tá fhios agat.”
Agus dúirt sé liom: “Is iadsan an dream atá gafa tríd an duainéis mhór; nigh siad agus gheal siad a n-éidí i bhfuil an Uain.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia.
Salm le Freagra Sm 23: 1-6. R/v v6
Freagra A leithéid siúd a bhíonn ar do thóir, a Thiarna.
I. Leis an Tiarna an chruinne agus a bhfuil inti; an domhan go léir agus a maireann ann.
Is é fein a bhunaigh ar an aigéan é, agus a dhaingnigh ar an bhfarraige íochtarach é. Freagra
2. Cé a rachaidh suas ar chnoc an Tiarna? Cé a bheidh ina sheasamh ar a láthair naofa?
An té a bhfuil lámha gan smál agus croí glan aige, an té ar beag air nithe gan tairbhe. Freagra
3. Beidh beannacht an Tiarna ar an té sin agus luahh saothair ó Dhia a shlánaitheoir.
A leitheid siúd a bhíonn á lorg, a bhíonn ar thóir Dhia Iácób. Freagra
Sliocht as an céad Litir Naomh Eoin 3:1-3
Feicimid Dia mar a tá sé.
A clann ionúin, breathnaígí cad é mar ghrá a thug an tAthair dúinn! go nglaofaí clann Dé orainn, agus is amhlaidh sinn.
Sé an fáth nach n-aithníonn an saol sinne mar nár aithin sé eisean. chairde cléibh, is clann Dé cheana féin sinn, agus níor foilsíodh fós cé mar a bheimid; ach nuair a fhoilseofar é, is feasach sinn go mbeimid ina chosúlachtsan, mar go bhfeicfimid é mar atá sé. Agus gach duine a chothaíonn an dóchas diaga seo ann féin naomhaíonn é féin faoi mar atá seisean naofa.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia.
Alleluia Véarsa Mth 11: 28
Alleluia, alleluia!
Tagaigí chugam, sibhse uile a bhfuil saothar agus tromualach oraibh,
agus tabharfaidh mé faoiseamh daoibh
Alleluia!
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as an Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Matha 5:1-12 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Bíodh áthas oraibh agus gairdeas, mar is mór é bhur dtuarastal ar neamh.
San am sin nuair a chonaic Íosa na sluaite, chuaigh sé an sliabh suas. Shuigh sé síos agus tháinig a dheisceabail chuige.
Thosaigh sé ag caint leo á dteagasc agus dúirt:
“Is méanar dóibh seo atá bocht ó spiorad, óir is leo ríocht na bhflaitheas.
“Is méanar do lucht an dobróin, óir sólásófar iad.
“Is méanar dóibh seo atá ceansa, óir gheobhaidh siad an talamh mar oidhreacht.
“Is méanar dóibh seo a bhfuil ocras agus tart chun na fíréantachta orthu, óir sásófar iad.
“Is méanar do lucht na trócaire, óir déanfar trócaire orthu.
“Is méanar dóibh seo atá glan ó chroí, óir feicfidh siad Dia.
“Is méanar do lucht síochána a dhéanamh, óir glaofar clann Dé orthu.
“Is méanar dóibh seo a d’fhulaing géarleanúint mar gheall ar an bhfíréantacht, óir is leo ríocht na bhflaitheas.
“Is méanar daoibh féin nuair a thabharfar aithis daoibh agus a ghéarleanfar sibh, agus nuair a chuirfear gach sórt drochrud in bhur leith go bréagach mar gheall ormsa. 'Bíodh áthas oraibh agus gairdeas, mar is mór é bhur dtuarastal ar neamh'.
Soiscéal an Tiarna. Moladh duit, a Chriost
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Machtnamh ar Bhriathar Dé ; Cé h’iad an dream glórmhar seo?
Cad atá ag feitheamh le dhaoine thar éis an saol domhanda seo againn, anseo agus anois. Aithníonn Naomh Pól é mar rúndiamhar nuair a deir sé "Ní fhaca aon súl, níor chuala aon chluas ná níor chuaigh sé isteach sa chroí daonna chun a shamhlú a bhfuil ullmhaithe ag Dia dóibh siúd a bhfuil grá acu leis." [1 Cor 2: 9]. Mar sin féin, cuireann na Scrioptúirí naofa saibhreas d'íomhánna dóchasacha chun tuiscint a thabhairt faoin cinniúint atá ullmhaithe thar an saol seo, dóibh siúd a bhfuil grá acu le Dia. Níl na naoimh ar neamh déanta as plástair, ach dream beó glórmhar de dhaoine macánta a chleachtaigh an grá san bheatha deo, and mar sin, chuaigh siad díreach ar ais go dtí tobair agus foinnse an grá, Dia na glóire. Chuaigh siad "ag máirseáil isteach" - sásta a bheith ag teacht i ngleic leis an Athair síorraí. Is laochra agus gnáth-dhaoine iad. Roinnt dóibh naoimh canóinithe a spreag an t-eaglais ar feadh na gcéadta bliain, agus an móchuid laochra gan clú, a chaith a mbeatha go ciúin de réir cháilíocht agus dhualgas, glan de chroí agus séimh sa spiorad.
Pádraig Ó Rúairí, cp,
Sliabh Argus, Átha Cliath.
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AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
