"Halloween" - introducing belief in the secular world?

Image source: Michael Halcomb's
blogpost on halloween:
http://michaelhalcomb.blogspot.co.uk/2011
/10/rethinking-halloween-christian.html

Hallow

Ok. When we pray the greatest prayer that we have been taught, which is the Our Father, we pray:
"Our Father, who art in heaven, HALLOWED be thy name".

Yup. Hallowed. Sounds close enough to the word "halloween" to take this freaky celebration as linked, in some way, to Christianity.

So what's this halloween stuff all about? Like, REALLY all about? And why do I have an issue with it (enough to write a blogpost about it)?

In the YouCat, #519 teaches that to "hallow" or to "treat God's name as something holy means to place him above everything else". It then goes on to say that "to hallow God's name means to do justice to his reality, to acknowledge him, to praise him, to give him due honour, and to live according to his commandments.

Oblivious

I dunno about you, but I rarely see God's name, his army of angels and saints, or the Church that Our Lord Jesus Christ died for, acknowledged or honoured during this 'night of fright'. In fact... quite the opposite. On the streets tonight, we'll see groups of children and teenagers glorifying the devil, demons and witches in their apparel - and it's not the worst of it that they're most likely oblivious to doing this.  The worst of it, is that halloween has become such a joke, that people tend to think demons and witches, and the devil himself is a joke. I would really like for everyone to meet an exorcist, to discover how much of a joke demons ARE NOT! So I stress my point: it's probably not so much that children & teens are allowed to go around wearing devil costumes and freaking each other out with ghoulish 'tricks' or the yuckiest 'treats' that can be bought out of Poundland. The idea of dressing up, or eating sweets and chocolate, is a pretty fun thing - and it's good to encourage this in moderation. But they need to be educated on what exactly they are representing when they do this at halloween, and the reality of it.

Belief

I watched this freaky movie the other night, called The Skeleton Key with Kate Hudson - really well made movie about a young and upcoming nurse, who goes into a home to care for an elderly man. However, there has been a history of voodoo in that place, and the 'wife' of the elderly mute is a spirit who has lived hundreds of years, transferring from body to body, and this young nurse is her next victim. When this spirit has gotten into the body of the nurse, [thus getting to my point], she says this: "It gets harder every time. They just don't believe like they used to. Gotta get 'em all riled up." When you lose faith, or belief, then your vision of the bigger picture of life becomes narrower.

Consider your eyesight. You can see objects or people nearly 180 degrees around the front of your peripheral. Having faith in God is pretty similar to that, in that the spectrum of belief is wide - one tends to believe in the devil, his demons and bad angels, and voodoo, and witchcraft. Of course... these are all things of the spiritual world that very few of us are well connected to. When you don't believe, that spectrum is narrowed - your eyesight is then only what you can see right in front of you.

Mockery

One could argue that you've gotta dangle the bait in front of the preys eyes before the prey can act... is that what halloween is about then? Could the purpose of halloween be a good thing in the end? Could it help children and teens understand the reality of evil? I believe in the way we do it today, no. Like I mentioned, it's become a joke - a mockery. And mockery is neither good, true, real nor kind. And a second 'no' because if parents and teachers don't educate the kids on this stuff, then the message or the reality of evil is lost. When I look at the fake blood on people's faces, I think and reflect on the real blood of the Christ mocked after His scourging during His Passion. Not much has changed, right?

Solution

I know of an awesome Catholic family, so God-fearing, and beautiful witnesses to the faith (the father was one of my lecturers @ SPES), who actually go around with candles on trick or treat night dressed as angels, and granting the peace of Christ to anyone who opens the doors. I mean... imagine if all Christian families did that on "trick-or-treat"night. Wow... there'd be competition with it becoming a "peace night" on certain streets of the States!

As for me, I plan to give little bags of sweets out, but will include a little slip calling the child/teen to holiness, and a miraculous medal. And I'll be surprised if my front door doesn't get egged tonight!

Anyways, in ancient Catholic tradition, we celebrated the feast of All Saints (all God's holy people who have left this world) as "All Hallows" on the 1st November. That would... errr... be tomorrow. Today is thus, in ancient terms, "All Hallows Eve" which is where the term "Halloween" comes from. It is meant to be (and if you pray the Divine Office, you'll see), a great celebration of holiness. A "holyween"!

So as my conclusion, my issue with people celebrating halloween is that, like Christmas, people have COMPLETELY MISSED THE POINT!! If you don't truly believe in God and his army of HOLY angels and saints, then you don't truly believe in the devil, and his army of demons and invokers. My advice: go and read up about it, and then see what your heart is thirsty for. Please God that won't be the fake blood of vampires but the Eucharistic Blood of Christ upon the altar of the Church.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 7

A further great sorrow of these holy souls consists in their ardent desire for the beatific vision. Slowly and painfully the moments of their purgatorial imprisonment pass by, for they love God deeply and desire to be delivered from their sad prison in order to praise Him forever.

Prayer: O God, Father of Mercy, satisfy this ardent desire! Send them Thy holy angel to announce to them, that Thou, their Father, art now reconciled with them through the suffering and death of Jesus, and that the moment of their deliverance has arrived.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

London to World Youth Day, Rio 2013! #JMJ

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Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 6

The holy souls are, indeed, comforted by the recollection of the passion of Jesus Christ, and the Holy Sacrament of the Altar, since they know they are saved by the passion of Jesus Christ, and have received, and still receive, so much consolation from Holy Masses and Holy Communions. Nevertheless, they are greatly pained by the recollection of their ingratitude for these two gifts of love of Jesus Christ.

Prayer: O my Divine Redeemer, Thou didst die for me on the Cross, and have so often united Thyself with me in Holy Communion, and I have repaid Thee only with ingratitude. Now, however, I love Thee above all things, O supreme God; and I am more grieved at my offenses against Thee than any other evil. I would rather die than offend you again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and at the same time, on the holy souls in purgatory.

O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 5

Another great suffering is caused these holy souls by the ignorance of the time of their deliverance. They are certain of being one day released, yet the uncertainty of the time when their purgatorial term will have ended gives them great pain.


Prayer: Woe to me, unhappy being, if Thou, O Lord, had cast me into hell; for from that dungeon of eternal pain there is no deliverance. I love Thee above all things, O infinite God, and I am sincerely sorry for having ever offended Thee again. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls in purgatory.

O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.
 
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 4

The pain that still more afflicts these holy souls, the spouses of Jesus, is the thought of having, during life, displeased by their sins that God whom they so ardently love.

Some penitents have felt so much pain and sorrow in thinking of having, by their sins, offended so good a God, that they died of grief. The souls in purgatory understand, far better than we do, the claims that God has to our love; they love Him with all their strength. Hence, at the thought of having offended Him during life, they experience pain that surpasses all other pain.

Prayer: O my God! Because Though art infinite goodness, I am sorry with my whole heart for having offended Thee. I promise to die rather than ever offend Thee more. Give me holy perseverance; have pity on me, and have pity on those holy souls that anguish in the cleansing flames of love, and who love Thee with all their hearts.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.
Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them!
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. 
Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 3

Another great pain of the holy souls is caused by the hideous vision of their guilt, for which they now suffer. In this life the hideousness of sin is not seen as in the life to come; and this is one of the greatest sufferings of purgatory.

Prayer: O my God! Because Thou art infinte goodness, I love Thee above all things, and repent with my whole heart of my offenses against Thee. Grant me the grace of holy perseverance. Have compassion on me, and, at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in purgator.

O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.



Our Father...
Hail Mary...
On Thy spouses have compassion,
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 2

The second pain which causes these holy souls much suffering, is the time lost in life, when they might have gained merits for Heaven, and the thought that they are unable to repair this loss, because the time of life and merit is passed.

Prayer: Woe to me, unhappy being, so many years have I already spent on earth and have earned naught but hell! I give Thee thanks, O Lord, for granting me time even now to atone for my sins. My good God, I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee. Send me Thy assistance, that I may apply the time yet remaining to me for Thy love and service; have compassion on me, and at the same time, on the holy souls suffering in purgatory.



O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jess, have mercy on them! 
On Thy spouses have compassion, 
on these suffering children Thine;
make these holy souls partakers
of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the Presences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.

Prayer for the Holy Souls | Novena Day 1

Manifold are the sufferings which those blessed souls must endure, but the greatest of all is the reflection that their sins in life are the cause of their present torment.

O Jesus, my Saviour, I have so often deserved to be cast into hell; how great were my sufferings if I were now cast away and obliged to think that I, myself, had caused my damnation! I thank Thee for the patience with which Thou has endured me. My God, I love Thee above all things and I am heartily sorry for having offended Thee because Thou art infinite goodness. I would rather die than offend The again. Grant me the graces of perseverance; have pity on me and at the same time on those blessed souls suffering in purgatory.


O Mary, Mother of God, come to their assistance with thy powerful intercession.

Our Father...
Hail Mary...
O most sweet Jesus, have mercy on them! On Thy spouses have compassion, on these suffering children Thine; make these holy souls partakers of Thy happiness Divine.

This has been extracted from Susan Tassone's "Praying in the PResences of Our Lord for the Holy Souls" and is a novena by St. Alphonsus de Ligouri. Susan's writing on the Holy Souls are all worth purchasing and reading.