Dom Guéranger on the Vigil of All Saints

Let us prepare our souls for the graces heaven is about to shower upon the earth in return for its homage. To-morrow the Church will be so overflowing with joy, that she will seem to be already in possession of eternal happiness; but to-day she appears in the garb of penance, confessing that she is still an exile.

Let us fast and pray with her; for are not we too pilgrims and strangers in this world, where all things are fleeting and hurry on to death?

Year by year, as the great solemnity comes round, it has gathered from among our former companions new saints, who bless our tears and smile upon our songs of hope.

Year by year the appointed time draws nearer, when we ourselves, seated at the heavenly banquet, shall receive the homage of those who succeed us, and hold out a helping hand to draw them after us to the home of everlasting happiness.

Let us learn, from this very hour, to emancipate our souls; let us keep our hearts free, in the midst of the vain solicitudes and false pleasures of a strange land: the exile has no care but his banishment, no joy but that which gives him a foretaste of his fatherland.

With these thoughts in mind, let us pray with the Church the [former] Collect of the vigil:

O Lord our God, multiply thy grace upon us;
and lift us in our holy profession to follow the joy of thee,
whose glorious solemnity we anticipate.

Through our Lord, Jesus Christ Thy Son,
Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, world without end.

Amen.

(from The Liturgical Year: Time After Pentecost Book V by Dom Prosper Guéranger, O.S.B.)