Book of Alternative Services

All Souls' Day - Commemoration of All Faithful Departed - Mem (Violet or Black)

Wednesday, November 2^nd, 2022

ALL SOULS' DAY

Eucharist: Names of members of those who have died in the last year may be included in the prayers of the people and a special intention made for them with the prayer before the gifts. There could also be a pad of paper provided at the back of the church in which members may write the name of loved ones they Wish to be remembered during the prayers of the people. Another option is to provide squares of paper for people to write the names of loved ones and a basket to place them in which may be brought forward with the offertory. A Litany of the departed may also be used in a special act of remembrance before or after the Eucharist and separate from the prayers of the people. The Church of England's Common Worship: Times and Seasons provides a short service for this after the Eucharist (available online).

Blessing of a Graveyard: There may be a procession to the graveyard using Psalm 25, Psalm 116, Psalm 118, or Psalm 42. The blessing and dismissal would be used at the conclusion of this second (or first) special act of commemoration. One of the best of these services that may be adapted to local use may be found in the Catholic Book of Blessings (available online at the Catholic Culture website). The minister may circulate through the graveyard after this service and bless individual graves and offer prayers for individual departed members. In practice this means that family and friends of the departed disperse to different areas of the graveyard to clean and tidy the graves as they wait for the minister to come to them. It may be appropriate for the whole congregation to gather first at the graves of those parishioners who have died in the previous year. In parishes where the cemetery is located some distance from the parish church, this service, extended with readings, may be used at another time during the day or during the week.

Colour: As All Saints and All Souls reflect two different aspects of the Christian theology of death it may be appropriate to reflect this in the liturgical colour used for both days. White for All Saints allows for thanksgiving for those who have been sanctified. Traditionally violet (or black) has been used for All Souls to reflect the eschatological hope of salvation for all people and to also allow an occasion for the public expression of bereavement. Violet allows a more somber reflection of the reality of the grief of the loss of loved ones in a culture that is often uncomfortable with grieving. However, it may be more pastorally appropriate to use white if the parish regularly uses white for funerals and has integrating a hopeful and joyous eschatological outlook. In this case it may be appropriate to change into a violet stole for the blessing of graveyard and individual graves to allow an expression of human loss invariably found in the experience of death.

Morning Prayer: Ps 72; Sir 43:23-33; Rev 16:1-11; Coll 390 (Mem: 429 or FAS 331)

Holy Eucharist: All Souls' Day: Propers 429 or FAS 331; Wis 3:1-9; Ps 116:1-8; 1 Pet 1:3-9; Jn 6:37-40 or Jn 11:21-27; Preface for the Commemoration of the Dead
Or
Feria: As Proper 31, except: Phil 2:12-18; Ps 27:1-6, 17-18; Lk 14:25-33; Preface of Weekdays (Mem: 429 or FAS 331)

Evening Prayer: Ps 119:73-96; (Neh 13:4-22); Lk 13:10-17; Coll 390 (Mem: 429 or FAS 331)

Link to full text for this day.