Some people defile Christmas too. Under that logic, should we reject celebrating His birthday because of how some fail to celebrate it properly? No? Of course not! Halloween…Holy Eve…is no different.
In Spain today we also celebrate All Saints’ Day, and tomorrow, Sunday, All Souls’ Day. Today, Saturday, is a day of obligatory precept, and tomorrow, being Sunday. There is also special adoration with exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in many parishes. People visit cemeteries. These are also dates to pray for the blessed souls in purgatory. Catholics do not celebrate death, much less the “Holy Death,” because death is a consequence of original sin and there is nothing holy about it. We also don’t dress up as monsters or zombies, nor do we cause terror of any kind. Unfortunately, the Halloween holiday is becoming widespread among young people. It’s an impressive business.
For Traditional Roman Catholics in the US, yesterday was a day of fast and abstinence, today is a Holy Day of Obligation, and we celebrate All Souls tomorrow. Over 1500 years of Tradition!
It has become very demonic here. I attended Msg. Rossetti's holy hour last night, as he said to claim back this Vigil of All Hallowed Eve for Christ. Witches are very active on this night casting spells and curses, so some positive action for Christ was done.
I understand what you’re saying, and that definitely makes sense. I was referring more to what, unfortunately, has become the symbol of that event as part of culture, especially through the media and television. In our country, Halloween is literally translated as “the night of the witches.” The Church recognized this and, since 2003, has organized Holywin for young people — meaning “the victory of holiness.” It begins with Mass and the Eucharist, followed by a vigil, that is, all-night Eucharistic adoration on the eve of All Saints’ Day. In some places, there are testimonies and gatherings of young people after Mass and adoration. In this way, the aim is to separate the pagan and demonic elements from what is holy and to restore the true meaning of the celebration. t began in 2003 in one church for young people, and now hundreds of churches in our country and abroad amon Croats celebrate God in this way among the youth. Of course, in our culture, the term “Halloween” itself carries a negative connotation due to its mainstream associations, so the Church replaced it with Holywin to avoid confusion among young people and to make it clear that we Catholics are not celebrating something evil — ghosts, witches, or the like but rather the triumph of holiness. In the English-speaking world, it’s a bit more difficult to make that distinction, because the original meaning has been taken over and popularized through culture in the opposite direction, even though Catholics, of course, continue to worship God and honor the saints.
A couple of examples: I was in the waiting room of a medical office and an occult movie was playing. Another example: I was in another waiting room and an occult movie was playing. Twice!
A lovely custom. Catholic countries have such beautiful traditions. Unfortunately the US is not a Catholic country per se.
There are diabolic/occult parts to the day of the dead out here too. Mexico isn't perfect by any means, but the parts that are good are really good.
I drove by a house today that had a massive, grotesque figure of Satan displayed on their front lawn, it actually towered over their roof. I had two little granddaughters in the car and had to distract them so they wouldn't see the ugly thing.
Yes, what Halloween has become is awful but as TLM Mark mentions has Christmas become awful! A time merely of decorating the house, feasting and hanging out with family, completely devoid of Christ. Years back a friend said she hated this time of year because she didn't believe and it was only a time she had to make special for her kids but she didn't know how, so it consisted of cookie baking, elf on the shelf and presents, lots of presents. https://fisheaters.com/customstimeafterpentecost12aa.html The above explains the traditions a little bit and it would be lovely if we slowly take these back. @Mariaba, it's not so much as about celebrating death but about death existing and we have nothing to fear. St. Francis of Assis even personifies death calling it "sister". It reminds me of the Felix culpa, because with it it bring that last step before we will be ultimately untied forever to God. All praise be yours, my Lord, through Sister Death, From whose embrace no mortal can escape. Woe to those who die in mortal sin! Happy those She finds doing your will!
Yes, you put it very well. I just remembered San Francisco when I was writing those lines. Saint Francis asked for the Stigmata of Christ. He didn’t think it was enough to go blind. Saint Francis was another Christ on earth and accepted death as a sister, which means he sweetly accepted everything that might happen during this life because his imitation of the Lamb was perfect. He overcame the world. Nevertheless, when Christ returns, he will subdue death under his feet, and that will be the last thing he does before returning everything to the Father, and then all will be one. Death, pain, disease, and all evils appeared in Paradise with original sin. Eating from the tree of knowledge in the Garden of Eden, in order to be like God, opened the choice between good and evil.
My 5 year old longs for Heaven so much, he talks about it constantly. The other day, I asked him, "And what must we do to go to Heaven?" He replied brightly, "Die!"
Now I understand well that what unites our soul most closely to God is self-denial; that is, joining our will to the will of God. This is what makes the soul truly free, contributes to profound recollection of the spirit, and makes all life's burdens light, and death sweet. (St. Faustina, Diary 462)
Bishop Paprocki denounces passage of Illinois pro-euthanasia bill 'It is quite fitting that the forces of the culture of death in the Illinois General Assembly passed physician-assisted suicide on October 31—a day that, culturally, has become synonymous with glorifying death and evil.' https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/b...tm_source=featured-news&utm_campaign=catholic
We had that same statue in our neighborhood. Every time I would pass it I would say in a clear, loud voice,”Jesus Christ is Lord and Savior of this neighborhood “ three times. Luckily it was taken down the next day.
