HAPPY HALLOWEEN

INTRODUCTION

The title of my homily is, “Happy Halloween!”

It’s November 1st, the morning after Halloween – and hopefully a few candies are still in the dish – but hopefully most of it made it to kids’ pockets and bags – and bellies – and hopefully givers’ bellies as well.

Happy Halloween!

As we all know Halloween means “All Hallow's Eve”.

As we all know from the Our Father, “hallow” means “holy” – as in “hallowed be Thy Name”. “Hallow” is an old English word and the “Pater Noster”, the Our Father, is one of the first things missionaries translate into a language – and we have been saying the Our Father with old English words ever since: “art” which in time became “are”; “hallow”; “thy”; and “trespasses”.

As we all know Halloween calls for kids and sometimes adults too - to dress up – costume up – to play “Trick or Treat” – pull pranks – let the ghoul and fool in us – the dark side of us – the far side of us – out a bit – but also to enjoy some treats and treat each other right.

As we all know we all have a Saint and a Sinner inside of us.

Imagination theologians like to say that there is a good angel on one shoulder and a bad angel on the other shoulder – and both are whispering into our ears from time to time.

“Temptation. Tempation. Temptation. Try it, you’ll like it.” And from the other ear we hear, “Lead us not into temptation…. Trouble. Trouble. Trouble.”

Native Americans described it as the good dog - bad dog – inside all of us trick – and they are fighting each other from time to time. Then when someone asks, "Which dog wins?", a wisdom figure says, "The one we feed."

Halloween: the sinner sneaks out a bit. We wear the mask! We hide. We play our tricks. We sneak around in the dark. The scary is allowed to roam. Spider webs and cardboard skeletons hang on our porches and door windows. “OOOOOOHHHH! OOOOOOHHH!”

COSTUMES

About a month ago I was reading somewhere that stores that sell Halloween stuff were not expecting to do that well this year. The article said it was something like a 5 billion dollar a year business. I’m not sure about the numbers – but it was up there.

As Jesus said, “Unless you be like little children, you won’t enter into the kingdom of God.” Kids at Halloween teach us so much – much of which we have forgotten – especially the importance of imagination and play – sweets and treats – creativity and party – celebration and costume – and tricks – OOOOOOH the tricks we play on each other.

Isn’t it great to see families coming up with great costumes for kids for school – for marching around at Halloween time? I have a good friend, Al, in New Jersey. Halloween was the best time of the year for him – making great costumes and a haunted house in their garage. His wife Sylvia thought he was crazy, but their four kids and the neighbor’s kids all loved it.

Happy Halloween.

I saw a little girl the other day dressed as a Lady Bug. So cute.

I once saw a little girl dressed as a princess for Halloween with a stick with a star on the end of it. I asked her, “What’s that stick you have in your hand?” Looking indignantly, she said, “It’s not a stick!” – as in, “It’s not a stick stupid.” She yelled out, “I’m a princess and this is my magic wand and I can turn you into anything I want.” I said, “Turn me into a Chihuahua!” And she closed her eyes and peeking touched my arm with her wand and said, “You’re a Chihuahua!” And I went, “Arf! Arf!” trying to hit a high note. “Arf! Arf” and she laughed and laughed and laughed.

The magic of life.

The magic of children.

ALL SAINTS DAY

I love it when kids in Catholic schools dress up as Saints.

I remember being in a parish in Ohio – and we were preaching a parish mission there. During the week it was Halloween on October 31st and that early evening we saw kids walking around town in their costumes and candy collectors. Then came the next day, November 1st, All Saints Day. And the whole school of about 300 kids came to Mass dressed as saints.

It was quite a sight – to see and sing, “When the Saints Come Marching In”. There were kids wearing sheets and blankets, drapes and towels, holding broken branches and hockey sticks and cardboard hearts. I could recognize St. Francis of Assisi in one kid because he was wearing a brown bathrobe with a fake bird on his shoulder. One kid came as St. Bruno – wearing robes and walking his dog up the aisle. One girl in a white robe had Christmas electric lights – candles – in a circle on her head – candles pointing upwards and blinking. Someone had connected her to some kind of battery pack on her back. She was St. Lucy – Lucy meaning light – the patron saint of the eyes.

I don’t know about you, but I like home made costumes better than store bought costumes – but I also think of those who are trying to make a living selling holiday stuff.

TODAY’S READINGS

Today’s readings for All Saints Day – whisper into our good ear – the good stuff – the meaning of life teachings – the how to be a saint stuff.

The first reading from The Book of Revelation has the great imaginary vision of what it’s going to be like on the other side of death – the great parade – the great march – the stuff of the song, “When the Saints Come Marching In” – that we want to be in there number – when the saints come marching in.

How many will be there? Will it be one hundred and forty-four thousand?

Poo poo – boo boo – on those who limit God to that – or try to include only themselves in that number – and put all the others – outside their number – or even put them in hell!

The next words in this morning’s first reading are the words I love, “After this I had a vision of a great multitude, which no one can count, from every nation, race, people, and tongue. They stood before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing while robes and holding palm branches in their hands. They cried out in a loud voice: ‘Salvation comes from our God, who is seated on the throne, and from the Lamb.’”

Read that first reading again – while you’re sitting here today….

Today’s second reading from The First Letter of John is filled with a positive message – the call to be children of God – because God loves us so much – and there will be a time when all the masks we have of God – will fall off God – and we shall see God as God is.

Wooo! Wow! What will that be like?

Pray – chant – sing in the shower – internalize – today’s psalm response - as a mantra, “Lord, this is the people that longs to see your face.” “Lord, I long to see your face.”

And today’s gospel – presents to us – and to all the crowds of people who are living and who have lived and who will come after us, the beatitudes – Jesus’ secrets of what happiness is.

Happy Halloween. Happy life.

Want to be happy, want to be a saint, want blessedness:

+ be poor in spirit, simplify, simplify, simplify,

+ mourn when you lose loved ones – and be there for those who have lost loved ones – make that sacrifice to go to the funeral home when we lose a neighbor or give them a call – and continue to connect with them,

+ be humble,

+ hunger and thirst for what is right,

+ show mercy, forgive,

+ be clean of heart and you’ll start to see God everywhere,

+ be a peacemaker,

+ be a child, okay some will think you’re nuts or stupid, and make comments, but underneath the mask and the words, they too know down deep, heaven is no trick, rather, it will be a great treat forever and ever, Amen.

Happy Day after Halloween. Happy All Saints Day.