This Sunday's Readings
Updated: 2 days ago
Church of the Sacred Heart
ALL SAINTS' DAY
31 OCTOBER & 1 NOVEMBER 2026
Collect
Let us pray.
Almighty ever-living God,
by whose gift we venerate in one celebration
the merits of all the Saints,
bestow on us, we pray,
through the prayers of so many intercessors,
an abundance of the reconciliation with you
for which we earnestly long.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Amen.
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 from 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 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.
Response: Thanks be to God.
Responsorial Psalm
R. Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
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.
R. Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
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.
R. Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
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.
R. Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.
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.
Response: Thanks be to God.
Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia!
Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.
Alleluia!
Gospel
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew. 5:1-12
Response: 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.’
The Gospel of the Lord.
Response: Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.
Prayers of the Faithful
Introduction: Gathered with all the saints, we remember that God is our Father and we are His children, called to live with hope. Trusting in our Father's care, let us bring Him our prayers.
Response: Lord, help us to be holy.
1. For the Church: That inspired by the Beatitudes, we may bear witness to the Gospel and be a source of blessing to the world. We pray to the Lord.
2. For the Pope's intention this month on the proper use of wealth: That without succumbing to the temptation of selfishness, we may always put wealth at the service of the common good and use it in solidarity with those who have less. We pray to the Lord.
3. For our world, especially in places affected by war, natural disasters and regional tensions over the haze: That leaders may seek fair solutions, show mercy to those who suffer, and work together to bring relief and peace to rebuild lives. We pray to the Lord.
4. For parents, teachers and all who guide others in the way of holiness: That inspired by the saints, they may encourage the young to care for others and to find joy in God, especially in challenging times. We pray to the Lord.
5. For ourselves: That we may give thanks for people who reflect the goodness of the saints toward us, and let their example guide how we treat others. We pray to the Lord.
6. We now pray in silence for other needs and intentions …
For these other needs and intentions, we pray to the Lord.
Conclusions: God our Father, You have made us Your children and called us to share the joy of Your Kingdom. Hear our prayers and guide us along the path of holiness until we join all the saints in Your presence. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.