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...[T]oday's feast of All Saints is wholly different from tomorrow's feast: that of All Souls. Today, we celebrate the men and women who have entered heaven; tomorrow, we will remember the souls of our friends and family members who are being purified to do the same. Today, we pray to the saints in heaven with full confidence that they will intercede for us; tomorrow, we pray for the souls in purgatory with full hope that others will do the same for us after we are gone. There's a big difference between the emphases (and purpose) of the two days. Honestly,...

In case you didn’t realize it, today is Halloween. For those of you who have been taught to find nothing redeemable in this night of masks, merriment and candy-begging: calm down! Here in the Deep South, Evangelicalism has a strong sway. Because of this, there are mixed emotions about Halloween – even among some Catholics. Yes, it’s a night set apart for children to dress up in costumes and innocently go door-to-door asking for candy – no harm in that, right? But then there are the persistent (and often convincing) tales, often perpetuated by well-meaning Christians, which link any celebration...

“The Now and Not Yet of God’s Baptized Saints” (Matthew 5:1-12; 1 John 3:1-3; Revelation 7:9-17)On this day when we have a baptism in our midst and we commemorate the faithful departed from our midst, on this All Saints’ Day observed, I want to talk to you briefly about “The Now and Not Yet of God’s Baptized Saints.” We’ll be looking at aspects of this theme from all three of our lessons today. First, when I say, “God’s baptized saints,” I’m talking about us. You and I are God’s baptized saints, the people he has made his own in Holy...

Benedict XVI. at the Angelus for All Saints: The goal of the life of a Christian is to be formed by Christ. Rome [kath.net/as] Holiness means, to be formed by Christ. That is the goal in the life of a Christian. With these words, Pope Benedict XVI addressed today's Feast of All Saints to gathered pilgrims and visitors at St. Peter's Square during the Angelus Prayer. The Feast of All Souls all were invited to raise their eyes to heaven and consider the fullness of divine life, which men await. As children, Christians receive the even the Grace, to bear...

How Halloween Can Be Redeemed by Page McKean Zyromski Halloween has grown into a major secular holiday in American culture. But for those who don’t value devotion to the saints, the Eve has become "hollow" instead of "hallow." The purpose behind it has been lost—like celebrating New Year’s Eve without a New Year’s Day. Take away the saints and our beliefs about the dignity and destiny of human beings, and the only thing left is pre-Christian superstition regarding the dead. Among many Christians, there has been concern that things have gotten out of hand. After all, doesn’t Halloween glorify evil?...

All Hallows' Eve Issue: Is the celebration of Halloween a pagan feast? May a Catholic celebrate Halloween in good conscience? What is the history of this popular American holiday?Response: We celebrate Halloween on the evening before All Saints Day. The word itself is a shortened form of "All Hallows’ Eve," which quite literally means "the eve of All Saints." From the earliest days of the Feast of All Saints (mid 700s A.D.), Catholics observed October 31 as the vigil of this November 1 celebration. This feast commemorates the lives of Christians who lived exemplary lives of faith. Pope Sixtus IV...

....the dates which were “Christianized” and now host Christian “Holy-Days” were originally utilized for “Pre-Christian” (“Pagan”) celebrations. This process reflects the wisdom of the Church and a missionary approach. She has “baptized” them, recognizing the seeds of what was good within them. By immersing them in the beauty of the proclamation of Jesus Christ, the fullness of truth and the source of all goodness, she transforms them into vehicles for transforming culture. The Church is His Body. She is meant to be the home of the whole human race. As the early fathers were fond of proclaiming, the Church is...

“Not Dead But Sleeping” (Matt. 9:18-26)Things die in November. Now I say this as one who comes from the Midwest, where leaves fall off trees and flowers wither and frost appears. That stuff apparently doesn’t happen out here in this paradise on the Pacific, where, like the new Jerusalem, the trees yield their fruit twelve months of the year. But back in the Midwest, where I come from, things die in November. And it was like that back in Europe, where many of the traditions of the church year developed. In November, things die. And so it was only natural,...

November 1, 2006 Solemnity of All Saints Psalm: Wednesday 44 Reading 1Rev 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,“Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I...

The eve of one of Poland's biggest holidays 31.10.2006 Halloween is the eve of one of the biggest Polish holidays – All Saints Day and All Souls Day, devoted to remembering and honouring the dead. Particularly November 1st is devoted nationwide to visiting cemeteries to light candles and lay flowers on the graves of loved ones and at sites commemorating events from Polish history. The day is also an occasion for a special collection held by famous actors and public personalities to support a restoration fund for historic Polish cemeteries in and outside the country.

by Patrick O'Hannigan Other Articles by Patrick O'Hannigan Anonymous Saints 10/30/06 I'm a semi-regular at a coffee kiosk owned by a bear of a man named Joe, but staffed on the days that I stop for a cup by a barista named Nicole. In This Article...Heroes AllIn Precise OrderCosmic Significance Heroes All Nicole doesn't know my name, but she knows my car and my weakness for caramel. Not knowing what to call me has never kept the friendly smile off her face or the lilt out of her voice. On those occasions when I ask for a foofoo drink or say...

When a majority of All Saints parish members voted to leave the Episcopal Diocese and the National Episcopal Church in 2004, they did not leave the church grounds on Kings River Road. Instead, they changed the locks on all of the doors and sent a letter stating that anyone representing the Diocese would be considered a trespasser on the property.The remaining members of the All Saints parish, those who did not vote to leave the S.C. Episcopal Diocese and the National Episcopal Church, were forced to congregate in the gymnasium of Lowcountry Day School for 14 months. They have since...

Holy Days of Obligation, Or Holy Days of Opportunity Holy days are usually regarded in terms of obligation and imposition. But should they not be considered even more as graced times of opportunity to mark a special mystery of our faith? In recent years, holy days have come in for a good deal of discussion, evaluation and renewal. As early as the fourth century, St. John Chrysostom was concerned about the celebration of holy days in Constantinople. This Father and Doctor of the Church commented in a homily that "many people celebrate the holy days and know their names: but...

November 1, 2005Solemnity of All Saints Psalm: Tuesday 47 Reading IRev 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,“Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.”I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the children of Israel. After this I...

All Saints and All Souls    FR. WILLIAM SAUNDERS What is the origin of All Saints and All Souls Day. Are they linked with paganism and Halloween? Both the Feast of All Saints and the Feast of All Souls evolved in the life of the Church independently of paganism and Halloween. However, elements of pagan practices were perhaps “baptized” by some cultures or attached themselves to the celebration of All Saints and All Souls. Let us first address the Feast of All Saints. The exact origins of this celebration are uncertain, although, after the legalization of Christianity in 313, a...

Can We Be Saints?    FRANK DUFF Frank Duff, founder of the Legion of Mary, wrote his first pamphlet Can We Be Saints? in 1916. In it he expresses his conviction that all without exception are called to be saints and that though the Catholic faith sainthood is possible for everyone. What is a Saint? In the heart of every right-thinking Catholic, God has implanted the desire to become a Saint. Yet few make a serious attempt to realise the ambition. The cause for this is to a large extent discouragement, due to the misunderstanding of what a Saint really...

HALLOWEEN: ITS ORIGINS AND CELEBRATION The celebration of Halloween has dual origins. The first is in a pre-Christian Celtic feast associated with the Celtic New Year. The second is in the Christian celebration of All Saints Day (Nov. 1st) and All Souls Day (Nov. 2). In the British Isles November 1st is called All Hallows, thus the evening before is All Hallows Eve. The Celtic FeastThe ancient Celtic peoples who inhabited England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland and Brittany (NW France) celebrated their New Year's Day on what would be November 1st on our calendar. Prior to their conversion to Catholicism these...

November 1, 2002Solemnity of All Saints Psalm: Friday 46 Reading I Responsorial Psalm Reading II Gospel Reading IRev 7:2-4, 9-14 I, John, saw another angel come up from the East,holding the seal of the living God.He cried out in a loud voice to the four angelswho were given power to damage the land and the sea,"Do not damage the land or the sea or the treesuntil we put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God."I heard the number of those who had been marked with the seal,one hundred and forty-four thousand markedfrom every tribe of the...