It’s not at all surprising for people to be afraid of ghosts. There is something frightening and disturbing about disembodied souls going around. The body and the soul were never meant to be separated. It is unnatural, death is unnatural. Death is not a good thing. That’s why it doesn’t make sense to celebrate death – – and yet that is exactly what is being celebrated by much of the world on October 31. The Eve, or Vigil of All Saints’ Day was hijacked when the modern culture started to associate the day by reverting to celebrating pagan harvest festivals and by lifting up dark, demonic elements.
The secular “holiday” of Halloween is pretty much a glorification of death and darkness. Displays of skulls and skeletons were reminders of the shortness of life and the importance of living it well, they are not worth glamorizing and rejoicing over. Characters like zombies and vampires are a twisting of living forever; who wants to live forever in a broken, dying state? Witches and warlocks throw curses and hexes; Christians bless and pray for their enemies. This evening and tomorrow we celebrate eternal life, restoration of humanity through grace, and the reunification of body and soul at the end of time. Christ who has won the victory, he has triumphed over death and the devil making a spectacle over them. It’s all a done deal. We celebrate holy men and women who overcame evil through transformation into Christ, entering into his victory on the Cross. That is where the real power is at.
The darkness has been defeated even though it sometimes seems to win. Satan is a creature not an equal opposing force to God; there are not dualistic powers in competition with each other as some might think. “Who is like God?” St. Michael knows the deal. Also, how ridiculous it is to say things like “Halloween is the devil’s birthday”! Fallen angelic creatures don’t have birthdays. Anyway, it should be asked why anyone would ally themselves with the losing side. Finally, if you see the whole thing as a mockery of death and evil, that may be OK but it’s better to celebrate life and goodness instead. Celebrate those who overcame the darkness in and around them by driving it out with the light of Christ until it streamed out of their very pores. The Saints are the ones who truly lived and are truly alive, forever, and that is why we honor them on November 1, the Solemnity of All Saints. Children of the light should imitate them, having no part in the works of darkness. (Not necessarily knocking giving candy out to innocent children, by the way). Just some thoughts for consideration, thanks for reading.
“May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light. He has delivered us from the dominion of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.” – Colossians 1:11-14