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October 22, 2021All Saints' Day - Activities for 11.1
Pray the Litany of the Saints.
What could be more appropriate for All Saints Day than the litany of the saints? Find it online or in Catholic Household Blessings and Prayers. You can find a sung version in your parish hymnal.
Who’s that saint?
Play a guessing game, aka Twenty Questions, based on each person’s saint. To choose a saint, you can access a free download of A-Z Saints Cards from Shining Light Dolls, and listen to the saint's story from their podcast. Guessers ask questions about the saint, which the saint answers “yes” or “no.” This can be played as a large group, with one saint at a time, or as a mixer, with kids trying to guess as many other saints as possible in a given amount of time.
Saints Alphabet Cards Free Download
Shining Light Dolls PodcastSaints' Guess Who?
Have the traditional Guess Who game sitting in the closet? Here's a way to repurpose that game for All Saints' Day.
Saints Guess Who
More Ideas Over At
Look to Him and Be Radiant
The Holy Souls in Purgatory - Devotion & Activities for 11.2
We know that we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven unless our souls are pure. This means that any sins which have not been “made right” in God’s eye must be reconciled. Purgatory is a place, a sort of rest stop, where we wait for our souls to be purified. The souls in purgatory cannot pray their way out. Instead, these souls rely on you and I, the living, to pray for them. By remembering the dead, praying for them, and offering sacrifices on their behalf, these souls are able to enter the kingdom of heaven more quickly.
Help the church to grow within your own community.
There are countless ways that you can pray and sacrifice for the souls in purgatory. Have a family brainstorming session and come up with a plan that works for your family. Here are some ideas to get you started:- Attend a daily Mass
- Recite the divine mercy chaplet
- Pray the rosary
- Pray at a cemetery
- Volunteer in your community
- Fast/abstain from foods
- Give up electronics
- Refrain from eating out at a restaurant
- Drink only water
What can your family commit to?
Remember that extra prayers and sacrifices should be realistic, yet not easy. For families with children in a large age range, consider an age-based and personalized plan.
Memento Mori
This idea is not dark or depressing, it is a call as Christians to remember that this life is a mere drop in the bucket compared to eternity. The way we live now should always be with our death and heaven in mind. Many (including 2000 years of Saints) have already written about Memento Mori, so check out these articles for more info:
Memento Mori- Five Benefits to Remembering Your Death
Memento Mori- How Religious Orders Remember Death
Memento Mori- How a Skull on Your Desk will Change Your Life
