Let’s face it. Catholics around the world fall into one of two camps: those who celebrate Halloween – sometimes going all out – and those who will avoid it at all costs.
THIS POST IS FOR THOSE WHO CELEBRATE HALLOWEEN
Whether you are like me, and dread the thought of figuring out costumes for a gaggle of children – insisting that they look through the dress up boxes for a homemade version of a fairy with bumble bee antennae and a tutu because, why not, right? – or you have costumes mapped out months in advance, and even coordinated with your parish All Saints parade, this post is for you!
THE CHURCH’S CALL TO EVANGELIZE
You know that each and every time we leave the house, it’s an opportunity to live out Romans 12:2
And be not conformed to this world; but be reformed in the newness of your mind, that you may prove what is the good, and the acceptable, and the perfect will of God.
In short, “be in this world, but not of this world.” I also love St. Paul’s call to be all things to all people in 1 Corinthians 9:22-23
To the weak I became weak, that I might gain the weak. I became all things to all men, that I might save all. And I do all things for the gospel’ s sake: that I may be made partaker thereof.
We can look to the Catechism as well, which upholds Scripture and weaves together Councils and encyclicals. We see this well in Mission – a requirement of the Church’s catholicity, found in CCC 849-856. Looking specifically at CCC 850, we get a glimpse at the importance of our call to evangelize:
850 The origin and purpose of mission. The Lord’s missionary mandate is ultimately grounded in the eternal love of the Most Holy Trinity: “The Church on earth is by her nature missionary since, according to the plan of the Father, she has as her origin the mission of the Son and the Holy Spirit.”341 The ultimate purpose of mission is none other than to make men share in the communion between the Father and the Son in their Spirit of love.342
ARTICLES OF INTEREST
- Learn more about All Hallow’s Eve and incorporating truth about Halloween and All Saints Day
- The Catholic Origins of Halloween
- Explaining Halloween and All Saints Day to Catholic Kids
- Do All Saints’ Day and Trick-or-Treating Go Together?
COSTUME IDEAS
Dressing up for Halloween doesn’t mean going the route of secular costumes, necessarily, especially if you enjoy going to your parish All Saints celebration that encourages participants to dress up as their favorite saint! Here are some articles with great saint costume ideas that can double as Halloween costumes.
- Your Handy Dandy List to All Things All Saints Day
- No-Sew All Saints Day Costume {For the Procrastinators!}
HALLOWEEN CANDY EVANGELIZATION
Not comfortable being bold with your evangelizing? Why not let your candy do the hard work?
- How about a Halloween Gift Poem?
- Or this nifty note for your candy? I threw this together after seeing something similar online, but felt it lacked a few details about the Holy Trinity. All you do is print this PDF, cut out and attach each to small baggies of candy corn. Easy peasy! Each candy corn says: Just as there are three colors in one candy corn, so there are three Persons in the Holy Trinity. The One true God has three Persons: God the Father is God, God the Son is God, and God the Holy Spirit – the Love between the Father and the Son – is God. Have a safe and blessed All Hallow’s Eve.
PUMPKINS
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