Antiphons at Lauds - Psalms of Sunday of the 1st week

1. The saints abide in the kingdom of heaven: they repose in that place for ever.

2. You saints of the Lord, bless the Lord for ever.

3. This is glory for all his faithful ones, for the children of Israel, the people in whom he takes pleasure; this is praise for all his saints.

Ephes 1, 17-18

God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of him, that the eyes of your understanding being enlightened you may know what is the hope of his calling and what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.

I, John, saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a loud voice: "Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?" And no man in heaven, nor in earth, neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither to look thereon. And I wept much, because no man was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to look thereon. And one of the elders said to me: "Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Juda, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof."

And I beheld in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, there stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth. And he came and took the book out of the right hand of him that sat upon the throne. And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. And they sang a new song, saying:

"You art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for you were slain, and have redeemed us to God by your blood out of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation; and you have made us to our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth."

And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders, and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands, all saying with a loud voice:

"Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing."

And every creature which is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and such as are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying: "Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be to him that sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb for ever and ever." And the four beasts said: "Amen!" And the twenty-four elders fell down and worshipped Him Who lives for ever and ever.

Although the most illustrious martyrs had their basilicas at Rome from the 4^th century, it was only in the 8^th century that the Gregorian Sacramentary indicated among the common Masses without date a Mass in honour of All Saints. Fixed in the following century on the 1^st November, it became the Mass of All Saints’ Day having, in honour of the nameless and dateless martyrs, extracts from the Masses of the Common of Martyrs.

After in A.D. 610 Boniface IV translated to the Pantheon, which was the temple dedicated to all pagan gods, numerous remains of martyrs which were taken from the catacombs, he dedicated this new Christian basilica to St Mary and the Martyrs. In A.D. 835 Gregory IV fixed the 1^st November as a feastday in commemoration of All Saints, while Pope Gregory VII later transferred to this date the anniversary of the dedication of the Pantheon as a church, thus recalling the triumph of Christ over false pagan deities.

On this day the Church gives a wonderful vision of heaven showing us with St. John the 12,000 signed (twelve is considered as a perfect number) of each tribe of Israel, and a great multitude which no one can count, of every nation and tribe, of every people standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes and with palms in their hands.

Christ, our Lady, the blessed battalions distributed in nine choirs, the apostles and prophets, the martyrs crimsoned in their blood, the confessors adorned in white garments and the chaste choir of virgins form, as the hymn of Vespers sings, the majestic court.

It a composed of all those who here below were detached from worldly riches, gentle, suffering, just, merciful, pure, peaceful and persecuted for the name of Jesus. "Rejoice", the Master had foretold them, "for a great reward is prepared for you in heaven".

Among those millions of the just who were faithful disciples of Jesus on earth, are several of our own family, relations and friends now enjoying the fruit of their piety, adoring the Lord, King of kings and Crown of all saints in heaven, and obtaining for us the wished for abundance of his mercies.

About the part played by the liturgy of the Church initiating us into the liturgy of heaven, Pope Pius X considers that "As daughter of those very choirs that are continually singing before the throne of God and the Lamb, it is proper that divine psalmody by which the Spouse consoles herself during her exile for the absence of her divine Lord, should be without fault or stain."

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