Saturday, November 01, 2008

All Saints



Today is not the Solemnity of All Saints in England and Wales, I am not sure about Scotland or the rest of the world or even if this just another example of the English being out of step.

Anyhow in my multicultural and ethnically diverse parish the attendance at this morning's Mass was almost double what it is on a normal Sarurday.

Now everyone is travelling or working abroad it seems pretty obvious to me we actually need some consistancy as far as the calendar is concerned, unless of course we intend that the great feasts of the Church to be forgotten, or seperated from their secular festivities.

I know that it was Halloween or the Vigil of All Hallows/Saints last night because a young woman in a witch costume, with orange a green make-up , rang my doorbell just before midnight, she was sick as soon as I opened the door, appologised and staggered off.

24 comments:

gemoftheocean said...

See what happens when you leave your porch light on that late?

[Here in the US with some local variations the unwritten rule is "if you are playing" you leave your porch light on. Generally the smallest children go out early when it's still twilight 5-5:30 with the older kids coming around starting right about dark. Then the other unwritten rule is "it's over" about 9. ]

When I was little, the school convent was a regular stop on our trick-or-treat route. The nuns were glad to see us in our costumes and had baked treats for us.

gemoftheocean said...

BTW, bad form to vomit on someone's doorstep!

One night some years back it was my dad's turn to go to the door for the trick or treaters. He was laughing his head off.

"What's so funny?"

"I asked the kid where his bag was, and he said he didn't have one, he just ate the stuff as he went along."

[Thereby breaking EVERY "parent rule" under the sun....]

Fr Ray Blake said...

I think "trick or treating" is more a US custom, we don't do it here. Certainly not without a formal introduction and an exchange of "At Home" cards.

Catholic Student said...

"trick or treating" is a largely American thing and generally the children in Britain are too lazy to do any sort of 'trick' (Thank God) So instead they just demand treats.

On a more serious note, should i pray Evening Prayer I of All Saints this evening? Or should i have prayed it last night? It's just with the Bishops and their liberlism and watering down of the faith they moved liturgical feasts and well i'm not entirely sure...especially being as yesterday was All Hallows Eve!

Fr. Gary V. said...

I'm wondering why nobody comes trick or treating at our rectory. All I know is that they have to pass through the dark and vast parish cemetery before they reach our rectory.

Fr Ray Blake said...

1st Vesper is tonight, unless you are using the pre-1962 breviary in which case you should have done it yesterday, which makes tomorrow All Souls.

gemoftheocean said...

I think if two Englishmen were shipwrecked on the same deserted island, they'd end up living on opposite ends of the island rather than introduce themselves.

I can't tell whether it's just because has Professor Higgins sings "An Englishman's way of speaking absolutely classifies him, the moment he talks he makes some other Englishman despise him." or part of the "this is a small island, and I'm going to damn well preserve my little eye in the storm" serenity. :-D

The UK is the most fun place in the world to get on an elevator. If it is crowded, simply say "Hi" and look them in the eye. They will all get off on the next floor, whether they need to or not and you will have the elevator blissfully to yourself.

Anonymous said...

"1st Vesper is tonight, unless you are using the pre-1962 breviary in which case you should have done it yesterday, which makes tomorrow All Souls."

Yes All Saints is today for those following the traditional Roman calendar.

However All Souls is transferred to Monday on the traditional Calendar as well because the Sunday takes precedence.

So today is All Saints, tomorrow is the 25th Sunday after Pentecost, and Monday is All Souls.

Fr Ray Blake said...

English Catholic is quie right right, I am wrong.

Anonymous said...

It's All Saints here! Gaudeamus!

Michael Clifton said...

I understand that the obligation of All Saints is transferred to the Sunday for everyone. This means that technically for those attending only old rite mASSES the position is that Sunday is to be said as AllSaints Day as well for everyone including old rites as well. So same Masstwice officially but not for me I can tell you

Anonymous said...

This is a wonderful blog, people actually confess to being wrong! Long may it survive. Fr Blake is an example to us all. Let infallibility be confined to Councils and the Pope.

nickbris said...

Roll on the 5th.We can celebrate the last serious attempt at getting shot of the parasites.THEY can burn an effigy of the Pope and we can all celebrate the beginning of the end of BUSH and his ilk.

We will all be able to sleep the better in our beds.

The Bones said...

Hold your horses Nick. Obama could be a nightmare.

Adulio said...

I don't understand this:

How are people who go to the new rite, going to observe All Souls day, if tomorrow is meant to "All Saints". Is it transferred to Monday 3rd, like the old calendar?

gemoftheocean said...

Nick, libs are so cute when they're being silly. We got two GREAT supreme court picks out of Bush. In other words, they don't make up laws as they go as they want them, rather than what they think the people want.

Bush did not twist his panties like a liberal wuss would have, we haven't been attacked since. I don't know ANYBODY right after 9/11 who didn' think we'd be attacked again.

Ingrates of democracy like you always like liberal ilk like Nobama-you'd embrace him like hookers embraced Clinnochio.

Volpius Leonius said...

Its All Saints today in America(Saturday,and not an obligation), and All Souls tomorrow (Sunday)

Its all quite confusing, what a mess.

Volpius Leonius said...

"We will all be able to sleep the better in our beds."

Thats if Osama hasn't redistributed your bed to someone he decides needs it more than you ;)

Maybe to a pregnant woman whose baby he is going to allow to be killed.

JARay said...

Well the Ordo for Australasia lists the Saturday as All Saints and the Sunday as All Souls and Monday is simply a weekday in ordinary time, or optional St. Martin de Porres.
In the parish which I attend, Saturday's congregation was up about 50% on a usual Saturday.
JARay

PeterHWright said...

It's all about Holy Days of Obligation, isn't it ?

Tomorrow, 2 November, is a Sunday. Sunday celebrates the Resurrection of the Lord. Feasts of the Lord can (arguably) be transferred to the nearest Sunday. I can see the logic of this for certain Feasts. (I don't say I agree with it.)

But other Feasts ? On the Lord's Day ? Even Feasts of the B.V.M. ? Despite venerable custom ?

Well, I thought they had decided to put a stop to all this in the revised calendar approved by John XIII (and I don't say I agree with it). Hence, from that date, the Sundays after Pentecost were celebrated in an unremitting liturgical green. No other Feasts on a Sunday !

Have they now changed their minds yet again ?

In England & Wales, it looks to me like the Bishops' Conference is doing its usual mucking about, not with Feasts, but with Holy Days of Obligation.

I think I'll stick to the old calendar. (I attend only the "old" Mass, anyway.)

Which means that Friday 31 October 2008 was Hallowe'en. Saturday 1 November 2008 is the Feast of All Saints. Sunday 2 November 2008 is the 25th Sunday After Pentecost. Monday 3 November 2008 is the transferred Feast of All Souls.

I quote, of course, from the 1962 Roman Calendar, all silly ideas to the contrary notwithstanding.

Jackie Parkes MJ said...

Wow! 21 comments..with mine 22! Will set some time to read all later!

Michael Clifton said...

Well Jackie, I am making it 23 because Antonio has just told me that the Holy Father celebrated a solemn Mass for the dead this morning . I wonder now if that is wrong. surely the Holy Father cannot be wrong ? It must be that the custom varies from Country to country...all very muddling though

Anonymous said...

Fr Clifton mentions that 'the custom must vary from country to country' as indeed it seems to. If the Holy Father celebrated the Feast of All Souls today then he was in line with the USA and France to name but two. It is Britain which seems to be out of step this time and yet the Church is supposed to be Universal.

Why do our Bishops wish us to be different?

Incidentally I have a Missionary calendar for this year which has the two feast days as November 1st and 2nd and it is English!

The strangest calendar mistake I've seen was a French one I bought a couple of years ago which had Good Friday on the Saturday after Easter. That was obviously a mistake!

Anonymous said...

In the Orthodox and Eastern Catholic calender, all Saints Day is celebrated on the Sunday after Pentecost. All Souls are remembered on every Saturday of Great Lent. Familes usually take a memorial service on one of the Soul Saturdays of Lent. You see, we are different too!!!

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