Churches of the Day
Pictorial Thought for Today
Oct 29 - St Hilda (614-680) abbess of Whitby
Summary: St Hildawas of the royal house of King Edwin of Northumbria and became abbess of the double monastery of men and women at Whitby. Because of the school she founded there she is honoured as a patroness of women's education.
Even though she favoured the Celtic model of the Church, she accepted the decision of the Synod of Whitby to abide by the Roman Church practices.
Patrick Duffy tells her story.
A Christian Princess and King Edwin of Northumbria
Ethelburga of Kent was a Christian princess, who came north to marry King Edwin of Northumbria. As queen, Ethelburga had a strong Christianising influence on the thinking of her husband and his household.
Hilda baptised with the household
Hilda was an orphan who had become a member of the household of her great uncle, King Edwin. At age 13 she was baptised along with his household at Easter, 627. The ceremony was performed by the monk-bishop Paulinus, who had come from Rome to Canterbury with St Augustine and accompanied Ethelburga as she came north to marry King Edwin.
Abbess at Hartlepool
About 20 years later, Hilda was planning to join her sister as a nun at the monastery of Chelles in Paris, when St Aidan of Lindisfarne, persuaded her not to leave Britain. He gave her land on which to start her own monastery and later appointed her abbess of Hartlepool.
Foundation at Whitby
Sometime later King Oswiu of Northumbria charged Hilda with educating his daughter and gave her the land on which she founded a double-monastery at Whitby. This comprised two communities - one male and one female - living separately but gathered together for chanting the office. This was not uncommon in Celtic monasticism.
A Wise Spiritual Director
Hilda was a wise spiritual director. She established a library and theological school and set a high standard of holiness and charity. Five of her students became bishops, two of whom - John of Beverley and Wilfred of York - are honoured as saints. Among her disciples was the cowherd Caedmon, who became a monk and teacher at the monastery and composed poems on the terrors of the last judgment, the pains of hell and the joys of heaven. Bede says of her monastery: "No one there was rich or poor, for everything was held in common and none possessed any personal property".
The Synod of Whitby 664
The prestige of Whitby is reflected in the fact that King Oswiu chose it as the host location for the famous synod in 664 to resolve the differences between the Celtic and Roman models of Church. While Hilda herself would have preferred the Celtic practices, she accepted the Synod's decision to implement Roman practice. The monks of Lindisfarne, by contrast, could not accept the decision; they withdrew, first to Iona and later to Ireland.
Death and InfluenceChronically ill for the last six years of her life, Hilda died in 668ad. Both Glastonbury and Gloucester claim to have her relics. She had been advisor to kings, saints, and ordinary folk.
Her abbey was destroyed by the Danish invaders in 867. After the Norman conquest of England, monks from Evesham re-founded the abbey as a Benedictine house for men and it continued until the dissolution of the monasteries by King Henry VIII in 1539. The ruined remains of the abbey is a landmark for sailors on top of the sea cliff.
A college in Oxford is named after St Hilda and she is the patroness of women's education.
St Hilda and the Ammonites
Ammonite fossils found on the shore at Whitby are said to be the petrified remains of snakes that once infested the Whitby area. Hilda brought the infestation to an end turning the snakes into stone so as to clear a site for the building of her abbey. There are three snakestones in the arms of the town. And Hilda is often depicted holding an ammonite, or snake stone, in one hand and a model of her abbey in the other. St Hilda's actions are immortalised in Sir Walter Scott's poem Marmion :
When Whitby's nuns exalting told,
Of thousand snakes, each one
Was changed into a coil of stone,
When Holy Hilda pray'd:
Themselves, without their holy ground,
Their stony folds had often found.
____________________________________
******************************
Memorable Saying for Today
'Don't think you are not doing what God called you to do.
If you are a woman who honours God right where you are,
you are in ministry.'
Lysa Terkeurst
******************************
Liturgical Readings for: Thursday, 29th October, 2026
Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 2
Saint of the Day: Oct 29; –St Coleman, bishop, 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 6:10-20
Rely on God's armour to hold your ground.
Grow strong in the Lord, with the strength of his power. Put God's armour on so as to be able to resist the devil's tactics. For it is not against human enemies that we have to struggle, but against the Sovereignties and the Powers who originate the darkness in this world, the spiritual army of evil in the heavens. That is why you must rely on God's armour, or you will not be able to put up any resistance when the worst happens, or have enough resources to hold your ground.So stand your ground, with truth buckled round your waist, and integrity for a breastplate, wearing for shoes on your feet the eagerness to spread the gospel of peace and always carrying the shield of faith so that you can use it to put out the burning arrows of the evil one. And then you must accept salvation from God to be your helmet and receive the word of God from the Spirit to use as a sword.
Pray all the time, asking for what you need, praying in the Spirit on every possible occasion. Never get tired of staying awake to pray for all the saints; and pray for me to be given an opportunity to open my mouth and speak without fear and give out the mystery of the gospel of which I am an ambassador in chains; pray that in proclaiming it I may speak as boldly as I ought to.
The Word of the Lord Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 143: 1-2, 9
Response Blessed be the Lord, my rock.
1. Blessed be the Lord, my rock who trains my arms for battle,
who prepares my hands for war. Response
2. He is my love, my fortress; he is my stronghold, my saviour,
my shield, my place of refuge. He brings peoples under my rule. Response
3. To you, O God, will I sing a new song; I will play on the ten-stringed lute
to you who give kings, their victory, who set David your servant free. Response
Gospel Acclamation Ps 147: 12
Alleluia, alleluia!
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! He sends out his word to the earth.
Alleluia!
Or Lk 19: 38
Alleluia, alleluia!
Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven and glory in the highest heavens!
Alleluia!
GOSPEL
The Lord be with you. And with your spirit
A reading from the Gospel according to Luke 13:31-35 Glory to you, O Lord
It would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.
Some Pharisees came up to Jesus.
'Go away' they said. 'Leave this place, because Herod means to kill you.'
He replied,
'You may go and give that fox this message: Learn that today and tomorrow I cast out devils and on the third day attain my end. But for today and tomorrow and the next day I must go on, since it would not be right for a prophet to die outside Jerusalem.'Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you that kill the prophets and stone those who are sent to you! How often have I longed to gather your children, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you refused! So be it! Your house will be left to you. Yes, I promise you, you shall not see me till the time comes when you say: Blessings on him who comes in the name of the Lord!
The Gospel of the Lord Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
********************
Gospel Reflection Thursday, Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time Luke 13:31-35
There is mention of two animals in today’s gospel reading from Luke. Jesus refers to Herod Antipas, the ruler of Galilee, as a fox, ‘You may go and give that fox this message’. Jesus then compares himself to a hen who ‘gathers her brood under her wings’. In rural Galilee, as much as in rural Ireland today, foxes threaten hens and chicken. Herod Antipas, as a vassal ruler of Rome, was a threat to Jesus.
In Luke’s account of the passion and death of Jesus, he would play a minor role alongside Pilate in condemning Jesus to death. Jesus was working to gather people to himself, at the same time as others, like Herod and the Pharisees, were conspiring against him. The risen Lord continues to gather us to himself, to gather us around himself, today, even as there are forces at work in our culture that seek to prevent that from happening. We can look out at the various ‘foxes’ on the horizon and get discouraged, perhaps even allowing ourselves to be reduced to fearful inertia. Or we can look upon the Lord who works to gather us all to himself out of love for humanity. The letter to the Hebrews calls on us to keep looking to Jesus ‘the pioneer and perfecter of our faith’. If we focus on the Lord and his efforts to gather us all we will be inspired rather than discouraged. The Lord doesn’t get discouraged by the foxes of this world, and neither should we. As Jesus says in the gospel reading, ‘today and tomorrow and the next day, I must go on’. That is the spirit we need today.
______________________________
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/
__________________
Saint of the Day: Oct 29; –St Coleman, bishop, monk
Colman hailed from Kilmacduagh, County Clare in the seventh century. After studying in Aran, where he founded two churches on Inis Mhor, he returned to become a hermit near Kinvarra. Induced later to undertake the monastic life he made a foundation at Kilmacduagh. He is said to have been its first abbot and bishop and had a reputation for being a vegetarian and having a great love of birds and animals..
Patrick Duffy tells the story.Life on Inishmore
Colman was born at Corker, Kiltartan, County Galway, the son of an Irish chieftain Duach. He studied with Saint Enda at his monastic settlement on Inishmore, the largest of the Aran Islands, and lived there as a hermit in prayer and fasting. He himself founded two churches there near Kilmurvey. He later moved to a cave in the Burren in County Clare, bordering south Galway and close to what is today the village of Kilmacduagh.
Foundation at Kilmacduagh
In 610, along with a relative, King Guaire Aidne Mac Colmáin (d. 663) of Connaught, he founded the monastery of Kilmacduagh, and governed it as abbot-bishop.
Kilmacduagh was erected as a diocese at the Synod of Kells in 1152. In 1751 it was united with the diocese of Kilfenora and in 1883 both these smaller dioceses were integrated into the united diocese of Galway, Kilmacduagh and Kilfenora.Lover of Birds, Animals, nature
Like other monastics, Saint Colman was a lover birds and animals.
*He had a pet rooster who woke him for the night office
*a pet mouse he trained to prevent him going to sleep again and
*a pet fly he trained to mark the place in the manuscript service book where the service left off.
The Site at Kilmacduagh
Today at Kilmacduagh there are the remains of five churches,
a leaning round tower 112 feet high that was restored in 1880, and the remains of an abbot's house. St Colman's abbatial crozier had been used through the centuries for the swearing of oaths. Although it was in the custodianship of the O'Heynes of Kiltartan (descendants of King Guaire) and their relatives, the O'Shaughnessys, it is now kept in the National Museum in Dublin.
Image (right): eventime/ sunset at Kilmacduagh
___________________________
******************************
Memorable Saying for Today
God is the friend of silence.
See how nature - trees, flowers, grass - grows in silence;
see the stars, the moon and the sun, see how they all move in silence.
~ Mother Teresa ~
******************************
Liturgical Readings for: Thursday, 29th October, 2026
CÉAD LÉACHTSliocht as Litir Naomh Pól chuig Timóteas na hEifísigh 6:10-20
Gabhaigí cathéide Dé chugaibh go bhféadfaidh sibh an fód a sheasamh
A bhráithre, téigí i neart sa Tiarna le fuinneamh a chumhachta. Cuirigí iomaibh cathéide Dé chun bheith in ann seasamh in aghaidh chealga an diabhail. Mar ní le naimhde daonna atáimid i ngleic ach le tiarnais agus cumhachtaí agus rialtóirí domhain seo an dorchadais, le hainspridí na bhflaitheas. Gabhaigí cathéide Dé chugaibh, dá bhrí sin, i dtreo nuair a thiocfaidh lá an oilc, go bhféadfaidh sibh an fód a sheasamh, agus go mbeidh sibh fós in bhur seasamh tar éis daoibh an cath a bhaint ar an iomlán.Seasaigí go daingean, dá bhrí sin, agus an fhírinne fáiscthe faoi bhur gcoim agaibh mar chrios, an fhíréantacht mar lúireach ar bhur n-ucht agus fonn leata dea-scéal na síochána mar bhróga ar bhur gcosa agaibh. Gabhaigí chugaibh i gcónaí an creideamh mar sciath lena bhféadfaidh sibh gach diúracán dearg de chuid an namhad mhallaithe a mhúchadh. Glacaigí an slánú mar chlogad agus briathar Dé mar chlaíomh ón Spiorad.
Agus bígí ag guí le hurnaí agus le himpí gach uair faoi luí an Spioraid.
Fanaigí inbhur ndúiseacht chuige sin ag guí go buanseasmhach ar na naoimh uile. Agus guígí ormsa chomh maith, le hionchas, nuair a osclóidh mé mo bhéal, go dtabharfar dom labhairt go dána agus rún an dea-scéil a fhógairt – an dea-scéal a bhfuilimse i mo thoscaire air agus mé faoi ghlas féin; guígí go ndéanfaidh mé é a fhógairt chomh dána agus is cóir.
Briathar an Tiarna Buíochas le Dia
Salm le Freagra Sm 143
Freagra Moladh leis an Tiarna, mo
1. Moladh leis an Tiarna, mo charraig, a oileann mo lámha chun catha; agus fós mo mhéara chun cogaidh. Freagra
2. Is é siúd mo ghrá agus mo dhaingean; is é mo dhún é agus m’fhuascailteoir; mo sciath é ina gcuirim mo dhóchas;
cuireann sé ciníocha faoi mo smacht. Freagra
3. Canfaidh mé amhrán nua duit, a Dhia;
seinnfidh mé ar chláirseach na ndeich dtéad duit.
Óir is tú a thugann an bua do ríthe;
agus a thug tarrtháil ar Dháiví, do ghiolla. Freagra
SOISCÉAL
Go raibh an Tiarna libh. Agus le do spiorad féin
Sliocht as Soiscéal naofa de réir Naomh Lúcás 13:31-35 Glóir duit, a Thiarna.
Ní cuí go gcuirfí fáidh chun báis amuigh as Iarúsailéim.
San am sin tháinig cuid de na Fairisínigh chuig Íosa á rá leis:
“Amach leat agus cuir díot as seo, óir is áil le Héaród tú a chur chun báis.”
Agus dúirt sé leo:
“Imígí agus abraigí leis an sionnach úd:
‘Féach, bím ag caitheamh deamhan amach agus ag oibriú leigheas inniu agus amárach, agus ar an treas lá bíonn an deireadh agam. Agus ní foláir dom bheith ag imeacht romham inniu agus amárach agus amanathar, óir ní cuí go gcuirfí fáidh chun báis amuigh as Iarúsailéim.’“A Iarúsailéim, a Iarúsailéim, tusa a mharaíonn na fáithe agus a chlochann iad seo a cuireadh chugat, cad é chomh minic is ab áil liom do chlann a bhailiú, ar nós na circe is a hál faoina sciatháin, agus níorbh áil libh! Féach, fágfar fúibh féin bhur dteach! Agus deirim libh, ní fheicfidh sibh mé níos mó go dtí go ndéarfaidh sibh:
‘Is beannaithe an té atá ag teacht in ainm an Tiarna!’
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.
*******************************
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.
___________
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/
_______________________________
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."
_________________
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.
____________________________________
******************************
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 ~
******************************
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
************************************
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.
********************************************
AN BÍOBLA NAOFA
© An Sagart
