Halloween – through the eyes of a converted heart.

I’ve had a love-hate relationship with Halloween. As a child, I liked dressing up and getting candy, but once I became an adult, Halloween lost its appeal. In fact, I began to dislike it.

I saw only pumpkins and ghoulish characters. Too much orange & black and too much concentration on things from the dark side. I put up with Halloween. And that’s about it.

One of the first changes after my conversion was the realization that, as Catholics, we begin a celebration of a holy day on the evening before. Take, for example, Saturday vigil or anticipatory Masses for Holy Days of Obligation.

The practice (of beginning an observance on the evening before) comes straight out of our Jewish roots.

The Sabbath begins at sundown on Friday and lasts until sundown on Saturday.

So, I have rethought the whole Halloween thing. I still don’t care for the decorations (which are completely secular and do a good job of usurping the real meaning of All Hallows’ Eve).

But it is an evening of great anticipation. It is a time to thank the Saints for all of their intercession.

It is a time to recommit ourselves to this journey toward our own sanctification.

And so, I reclaim this evening. I give out candy and thank God for each little scarecrow or tiny lion that rings my doorbell.

This night is wholly Catholic. Truly sacred.

It is a night worthy of our deepest devotion.

Take time this evening to pray – and to thank your saint for remembering you before the Throne of Grace.