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I thought I’d offer three reflections in a row this week, today, tomorrow and Saturday offering an invitation to take a 36-hour retreat-in-daily life as we (who have signed up to receive regular blog posts from FFF) begin a new month with two great feasts: All Saints tomorrow (Friday) and All Souls on Saturday.
The marking of Halloween (literally “All Saints Eve”), became significant for Christians who were preparing to celebrate the feast of All Saints the following day. (more on the feast tomorrow)
Few of those for whom Halloween is significant will give the Communion of Saints a thought. In the same way the Christian celebrations of Easter and Ash Wednesday, Christmas and Advent, have been over-shadowed by secular rituals of bunnies and eggs, Mardi Gras, Carnival, and presents and shopping. Those who do not give Jesus a thought still have a deep need for rituals of social gathering and our Christian feasts have provided a good opportunity.
There is little to be gained by Christians who set out to oppose the secularisation of our major Christian feasts. Such zealous efforts will simply reinforce the Christians are killjoys stereotype.
And let’s be honest too: Christians have worked hard for the killjoy reputation. Too often our proclamation of the Good News has had little to do with faith in Jesus Christ, and everything to do with rules and regulations. Sure, our intentions may have been good, but we often emphasised the points and missed the person, Jesus, who is the one who gives life.
I’m haunted by William Blake’s poem, “The Garden of Love”:
…And the gates of this Chapel were shut,
And ‘Thou shalt not’ writ over the door;
So I turned to the Garden of Love
That so many sweet flowers bore.
And I saw it was filled with graves,
And tombstones where flowers should be;
And priests in black gowns were walking their rounds,
And binding with briars my joys & desires.
Christians achieve little by setting themselves up in violent opposition to those who see things differently. It is true that Christians do see everything and everyone in a different way but (as Blake suggests) our defensiveness does us no favours.
The essential starting point for effective evangelisation is loving and respectful dialogue in every encounter, even when it happens in an inconvenient evening moment on the doorstep with half a dozen strangely dressed young neighbours.
You might like to spend the next twenty-four hours, day one of our three-day retreat, noticing Jesus present and active in every unexpected and even unwelcome encounter.
There is much wisdom in Feast days that bring unique individuals together, in celebration of the Way, the Truth and the Life. When w connect our celebration to Christ Jesus,, there is a spiritual feast at a deep level. My favorite Feast days are Ash Wednesday and Pentecost because they enclose Jesus’ promise of growth through crucifixion and resurrection with him. As for All Saints Day and All Souls Day, they bring us to the grater reality beyond our limited sensory system. We are reminded that Faith lives on in those who have gone before. All Souls also summons some words written by Samoan poet Albert Wendt: “Our ancestors are the beautiful garments our soul wears.”
Many Christian festivels we derived to counter non christian festivels or to coinside with them It seems churlish to me to deny children having fun dressing up and co.ing to the door for a treat.Focus on their custom as a sign of something evil is the wrong focus .I think remebering the lives of the ones gone before us and present with us still is a cause gor celebration.I intend to do just that and if a little person knocks at me door I will give them sweets and a blessing.Trick or treat has I understanding history as the poor seeking a treat makes you think where our focus should be.teresa
Thank you Father John much food for thought and action.
So true
Great message John….a time for us to show some love and enjoy the happiness that comes with that.
Such a thought provoking commentary and sooo needed in this day and age! Wonderful that we can alter our thought process! I await with eagerness the knock on my door this evening by an excited child! Sweets waiting! Thank you Fr John for inspiring!
This morning this is Food for Faith indeed. Thankyou Fr John and beautiful words from Joy Cowley.
Thank you for your commentary on Halloween. I must say I don’t really like the celebration much but I agree with you Father John that we need to use these secular celebrations as an opportunity to reach out to others in love. It could be as simple as greeting children who come to our door with a friendly smile and some treats for them.
Very inspiring comments everyone. Thank you so much Father John.
Thanks so much John. An opportunity to take time to encounter Jesus in my everyday life.
Thankyou so much! Just the impetus I need to turn around my thinking for the beautiful Feast of All Saints!
Thankyou John, for the challenge and also for explaining the real meaning of the word “halloween”.
Thank you John.
FFF. Food for faith and thought per usual, on this glorious sunny day in paradise. Let us be glad and enjoy it for this is the day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it as we encounter those the Lord places in our path.
So true John. Will bring out my lollie jar!!! Cheers Mike
thanks John; one only needs to look to the USA to cringe at the way the message of jesus has become distorted and politicised in so many ways. the root of hallwoween is purposeful, the effects of gross secularisation have made it an irreleavancy for most; i prefer therfore to work on spreading a kind word and a neighbourly gesture (along withthe odd sweet) to any children that stray to our door
I use to stop my kids celebrating Halloween but this was just as you say a killjoy. My grandson told his mother who wouldn’t take him trick or treating his grandmother would she said how do you know that he said because she loves me. You can bet I’m taking him trick or treating. At the same time we can talk about all souls and all saints celebration.
‘The essential starting point for effective evangelisation is loving and respectful dialogue in every encounter.’ One could always start by blessing the guardian parent hanging back at the gate who is aware of stranger danger. Tell them they are Saints!!