All Saints 2025: November 2, 2025

Join us on November 2, 2025, for Morning Prayer at 9:00 AM for the All Saints 2025, at St. John the Divine Episcopal Church, located at 216 E Chandler Blvd, Burlington, WI.

Join us for worship in the way that suits you best! You can worship with us in person, via live stream, through video replay, or as a podcast.

If You Cannot Join Us In Person for the All Saints 2025!

We recognize that it’s not always possible for you to join us in person; that’s why we provide you with our

Live Stream/Playback

We will go live at 8:50 AM for the organ prelude, or you can join us at 9:00 AM for the opening hymn. The video will be available immediately after the service concludes.

Podcast

We aim to release our podcast by Sunday afternoon. However, it may take a little longer for the episode to appear in your favorite podcast player. Did you know that we are available on all major platforms? You can check out some past podcasts if you want!

Our podcast covers the service, from the opening hymn to the sharing of the peace.

The Collect for All Saints 2025

Almighty God, you have knit together your elect in one communion and fellowship in the mystical body of your Son Christ our Lord: Give us grace so to follow your blessed saints in all virtuous and godly living, that we may come to those ineffable joys that you have prepared for those who truly love you; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with you and the Holy Spirit lives and reigns, one God, in glory everlasting. Amen.

The Readings for All Saints 2025

Old Testament: Daniel 7:1-3,15-18

¹In the first year of King Belshazzar of Babylon, Daniel had a dream and visions of his head as he lay in bed. Then he wrote down the dream: ²I, Daniel, saw in my vision by night the four winds of heaven stirring up the great sea, ³and four great beasts came up out of the sea, different from one another.

¹⁵As for me, Daniel, my spirit was troubled within me, and the visions of my head terrified me. ¹⁶I approached one of the attendants to ask him the truth concerning all this. So he said that he would disclose to me the interpretation of the matter: ¹⁷“As for these four great beasts, four kings shall arise out of the earth. ¹⁸But the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever—forever and ever.”

Psalm: Psalm 149

¹ Hallelujah!
  Sing to the Lord a new song; *
       sing his praise in the congregation of the faithful.

² Let Israel rejoice in his Maker; *
       let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.
³ Let them praise his Name in the dance; *
       let them sing praise to him with timbrel and harp.

⁴ For the Lord takes pleasure in his people *
       and adorns the poor with victory.
⁵ Let the faithful rejoice in triumph; *
       let them be joyful on their beds.
⁶ Let the praises of God be in their throat *
       and a two-edged sword in their hand;

⁷ To wreak vengeance on the nations *
       and punishment on the peoples;
⁸ To bind their kings in chains *
       and their nobles with links of iron;
⁹ To inflict on them the judgment decreed; *
       this is glory for all his faithful people.
       Hallelujah!

Epistle: Ephesians 1:11-23

¹¹In Christ we have also obtained an inheritance, having been destined according to the purpose of him who accomplishes all things according to his counsel and will, ¹²so that we, who were the first to set our hope on Christ, might live for the praise of his glory. ¹³In him you also, when you had heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and had believed in him, were marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit;¹⁴this is the pledge of our inheritance toward redemption as God’s own people, to the praise of his glory.

¹⁵I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, and for this reason ¹⁶I do not cease to give thanks for you as I remember you in my prayers. ¹⁷I pray that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know him, ¹⁸so that, with the eyes of your heart enlightened, you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance among the saints, ¹⁹and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power for us who believe, according to the working of his great power. 

²⁰God put this power to work in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, ²¹far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come. ²²And he has put all things under his feet and has made him the head over all things for the church, ²³which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.

Gospel: Luke 6:20-31

²⁰Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. ²¹“Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you will be filled. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh. ²²“Blessed are you when people hate you, and when they exclude you, revile you, and defame you on account of the Son of Man. ²³Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, for surely your reward is great in heaven; for that is what their ancestors did to the prophets. 

²⁴“But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. ²⁵“Woe to you who are full now, for you will be hungry. “Woe to you who are laughing now, for you will mourn and weep. ²⁶“Woe to you when all speak well of you, for that is what their ancestors did to the false prophets.

²⁷“But I say to you that listen, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.²⁹If anyone strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also; and from anyone who takes away your coat do not withhold even your shirt. ³⁰Give to everyone who begs from you; and if anyone takes away your goods, do not ask for them again. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

You can download or print a PDF of these readings.

All Saints Day 2025: The Kingdom Belongs to God’s Faithful

The readings for All Saints 2025 create a vivid vision of God’s kingdom and the unique life of its members.

The Kingdom Promised and Secured

Daniel’s vision begins with chaos—four winds stirring the great sea and beasts emerging from the depths. This apocalyptic imagery symbolizes earthly kingdoms that may appear powerful and frightening. However, the promise is clear: despite these temporary powers, “the holy ones of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess it forever.” The saints—both those who have gone before us and those who are still in the race—are assured of an eternal inheritance that no earthly authority can diminish.

Paul’s letter to the Ephesians assures us that our inheritance is already secured in Christ. We have been “marked with the seal of the promised Holy Spirit,” which serves as a pledge of what is to come. The same resurrection power that raised Christ and placed him above every authority is also at work in believers. This is the hope that enlightens our hearts: we are not waiting to see if the kingdom will come; instead, we are witnessing it unfold through Christ’s victory.

The Upside-Down Kingdom

Jesus’s Beatitudes challenge traditional worldly values. The poor, hungry, grieving, and marginalized are not advised to wait for better days—they are declared blessed right now. The kingdom of God already belongs to them. In contrast, those who are comfortable, well-fed, and widely praised receive a stark warning: their comfort may be all they ever experience.

This perspective isn’t about the prosperity gospel; it’s about the reality of God’s kingdom. Throughout history, saints have often been characterized by humility, a poverty of spirit, persecution, and a deep hunger and thirst for righteousness, rather than seeking earthly satisfaction. They are blessed not because suffering is inherently good, but because their circumstances allow them to receive God’s kingdom without the false security that wealth and comfort can bring.

Living as Kingdom People

Psalm 149 illustrates the dual nature of being a saint, as it joyfully praises God while also pursuing justice. The faithful are encouraged to sing and dance. Still, they also bear “a two-edged sword,” similar to the description of God’s Word found in Hebrews 4:12. Saints are called to celebrate God’s victory while actively participating in His purposes on earth.

Jesus offers practical guidance: love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, be generous, and treat others as you would like to be treated. This radical ethic isn’t just naive idealism—it’s the way citizens of the kingdom live under a King who triumphed over evil through self-giving love rather than through dominating power.

For Reflection

On All Saints’ Day in 2025, we reflect on the great cloud of witnesses who have received the kingdom through their faith. Like them, we are called to live as citizens of a kingdom that is already established but not yet fully realized. The real question is not whether we will face suffering or opposition—Jesus assures us that we will indeed face them. The important question is whether we will trust that the kingdom truly belongs to God’s faithful and live in accordance with that belief.

The same power that raised Christ from the dead is at work in you. You’ve been sealed with the Spirit as God’s own. The kingdom is yours—not someday, but now. How will you live as a saint today?