This Was Halloween

Oct. 31: Thursday of the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

I wanted to write this on Halloween, but Halloween activates intervened.

Bingo is just outside of the shot.

But I also spent much of the day thinking about the nature of Halloween, especially reading articles like this one from

Bros Krynn’s Newsletter

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Why Halloween is One of the Most Important Holidays - A Call to Courage & Chivalry

And this one by

Megha Lillywhite

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Evil is not a Mental Illness

So, consider this my belated contribution to reflection about All Hallow’s Eve.

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One of Amelia's (and my) favorite movies is Fantasia. I particularly like the ending, which I've clipped below. As Deems Taylor explains, it's actually two pieces, "A Night on Bald Mountain" and "Ave Maria." The first one is replayed and referenced in ancillary material and Disneyana; the second piece rarely so, much to its detriment.

Fascination with evil is a common human trait. I think it's healthy, even, with moderation. But cutting off the ending of the cartoon ruins the actual point. While Satan may have his night, dawn will always come. And for Catholics, the climax is even more pointed. What spoils the devil and his minions’ revelry? Church bells, and a bunch of nuns singing "Ave Maria."

Ghosts and ghouls and goblins are fun to play at for an evening, but the next day is All Saint's Day. These are God's holy ones who have overcome evil and reside in Heaven, waiting for us to join them.

Reading 1

Eph 6:10-20

Brothers and sisters: Draw your strength from the Lord and from his mighty power. Put on the armor of God so that you may be able to stand firm against the tactics of the Devil. For our struggle is not with flesh and blood but with the principalities, with the powers, with the world rulers of this present darkness, with the evil spirits in the heavens. Therefore, put on the armor of God, that you may be able to resist on the evil day and, having done everything, to hold your ground. So stand fast with your loins girded in truth, clothed with righteousness as a breastplate, and your feet shod in readiness for the Gospel of peace. In all circumstances, hold faith as a shield, to quench all the flaming arrows of the Evil One. And take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

With all prayer and supplication, pray at every opportunity in the Spirit. To that end, be watchful with all perseverance and supplication for all the holy ones and also for me, that speech may be given me to open my mouth, to make known with boldness the mystery of the Gospel for which I am an ambassador in chains, so that I may have the courage to speak as I must.

Christians live and act in the world, it’s true. That’s why so many hospitals and universities are named for saints, after all. But we know that this world is not all there is. We have spiritual battles as well as physical ones to face.

This, I believe, is why the scary elements of Halloween should be retained, for all but the littlest trick-or-treaters. It’s a visible reminder of the invisible world.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 144:1n, 2, 9-10

R. (1b) Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
Blessed be the LORD, my rock,
who trains my hands for battle, my fingers for war.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
My mercy and my fortress,
my stronghold, my deliverer,
My shield, in whom I trust,
who subdues my people under me.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!
O God, I will sing a new song to you;
with a ten-stringed lyre I will chant your praise,
You who give victory to kings,
and deliver David, your servant from the evil sword.
R. Blessed be the Lord, my Rock!

But we are not alone in our spiritual battles! God is at our side. To him, we should entrust our souls.

Alleluia

See Lk 19:38; 2:14

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.
Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

These two verses bookend Jesus’ life. The first the crowd sings of his triumphant entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the second, the angels sing at his Nativity. Jesus is King, but not everyone knew it. He was concealed from the world during his life, but we get to see behind the mask.¹

Gospel

Lk 13:31-35

Some Pharisees came to Jesus and said, “Go away, leave this area because Herod wants to kill you.”

He replied, “Go and tell that fox, ‘Behold, I cast out demons and I perform healings today and tomorrow, and on the third day I accomplish my purpose. Yet I must continue on my way today, tomorrow, and the following day, for it is impossible that a prophet should die outside of Jerusalem.’

“Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how many times I yearned to gather your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you were unwilling! Behold, your house will be abandoned. But I tell you, you will not see me until the time comes when you say, Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.”
 

Jesus knows God’s plan for Him involves dying just outside Jerusalem. He has faith, the evidence of things not yet seen,² that he won’t die until scripture is fulfilled. That gives Him the confidence to ignore any danger from Herod at the moment.

But notice Jesus hope still involves certain knowledge of His painful death. That’s what holidays like Halloween are meant to remind us of. We have to be prepared for that day when our souls leave our bodies. We have to do what we can to fight our spiritual battles, with the help of the Holy Spirit, while retaining hope in God’s mercy through Jesus Christ.

Free candy is nice, too.

1. See what I did there?

2. Heb 11:1