In our popular culture, the month of October has evolved into a four-week celebration of Halloween. These autumn days are filled with constant images of ghosts, zombies, witches, and werewolves. The media and the markets focus on the scary and the supernatural. Yet by the beginning of November, the masks are taken off, the cobwebs are cleared away and the howling at the full moon has faded.
For Catholics, Halloween is just the beginning of a sacred time to remember all those who have gone before us. This is not a moment to be afraid but a period to focus on faith, hope, and love. The first two days of the eleventh month are a time when the dead are remembered, our ancestors are honored and the souls of all the faithful departed are commended to God through special rituals, services, liturgies, and prayers.
On November 1st, the Church celebrates “All Saints Day.” These are the men and women – the “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1) - who we believe are now with God and help us on our journey through this life. St. Francis de Sales reminds us that “the lives of the saints are nothing but the Gospel put into practice.”
On November 2nd we commemorate “All Souls Day.” This is a solemn celebration when we remember and pray for all who have died. We pray for their journey to their true home in heaven where they will dwell with God and all His angels and saints. Many Catholics try to go to Mass on this day or they visit a cemetery, light a candle or find time to think about their loved ones who have gone before them.
While All Souls Day and the entire month of November are a time to think about death and the afterlife, we must remember that the hope and joy of the resurrection is always before us. The early Church celebrated All Souls in the Easter season as a reminder that it is the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that gives meaning to our lives on earth and the promise of eternal life.
In the next few weeks, as our culture replaces images of monsters with pictures of pilgrims and the taste of candy gives way to turkey and stuffing, let us continue to pray for our beloved brothers and sisters who have died. As we remember them, may we always keep in our hearts the words of St. Francis de Sales: “Let us walk joyously among the difficulties of this passing life. These pains will have an end when our life ends, after which there will be only joy, only contentment, only eternal consolation.”
Rev. Jack Kolodziej, OSFS
Director of Development
Wilmington-Philadelphia Province
