I know every little kid and an increasingly growing number of adults will probably disagree with this, but I have to wonder why Halloween is still a holiday. Most people know that its origins from the Middle Ages make it one of the oldest celebrated holidays. But, we are no longer celebrating the end of the summer season, or harvest or thinking about the Poor Souls in Purgatory. The vast majority of children are thinking about getting candy and putting together a scary outfit.

No, I haven’t forgotten the fun I had as a kid. But, it was a different world back then. I remember a few days before or even on Halloween itself coming home from school and digging through the house looking for anything to make a costume. We were bums, ghosts, pirates or anything our imagination would come up with. Most of the costumes were pretty pathetic but they did the trick. Even at a young age, we would grab a paper grocery bag and run out with our siblings and friends (no parents) to hit as many houses as we could. Being in a city, we had no idea who lived in most of the homes and we didn’t care. We just wanted to get as much candy as possible since it was such a rare treat. Halloween, chocolate Easter bunnies and Christmas were the main times of year we got candy so we wanted to get all we could. Greed was the name of the game.

Nowadays, most kids eat candy year-round. It’s not a special treat, it’s what is brought home from the grocery store, kept in the junk food drawer or bought whenever mom stops at the convenience store for gas.

So, what’s the point? Going around dressed up and begging for what? Something that’s readily available anytime? It’s not safe to let kids wander the neighborhoods alone. Costumes are planned well in advance and money, not imagination, determines how the child dresses. Halloween has become a big business with lots of decorations, adult parties and elaborate yard displays. I recently read that one fourth of annual candy sales occur during Halloween.

As Christians, many question the notion of dressing up as witches, ghosts, vampires or other such beings. I recently came across a picture where many years ago I had dressed up my young son as a devil. You can guess that no “Mother of the Year” award was coming my way that year. Was I thinking of the occult at that time? Of course not. Let’s just say it was long ago and I’ve done some thinking since then. I would definitely not encourage any parents to allow their kids to dress up as anything dealing with the occult or the spiritual world. Even when people think it is just in fun, why indoctrinate your child into thinking that it is innocent and non-consequential. We know evil is real. We shouldn’t trivialize it to our children.

So, pray for the Holy Souls in Purgatory and celebrate All Saints Day but let’s minimize Halloween. We just don’t need it.

Feel free to leave a comment. I'd love to hear your experiences.

St. Teresa of Avila’s feast day is today and she is one of my favorites. Sometimes when we look at the saints, their piousness and holiness is pretty intimidating. They seem almost otherworldly. So, when we look at ourselves, we know there is no way we can be like them. Although, Teresa of Avila was a mystic, the great reformer of the Carmelite order, an expert of contemplative prayer, theologian and a doctor of the Church, she always seemed to retain her humanness.

Some of my favorite quotes from her:

“There are more tears shed over answered prayers than over unanswered prayers.”  I hated the first real job I had and prayed I would move away and find anything else. Thank God, that wasn’t answered since I would never have met my husband, had children and lived the life I have now.

“Remember that you have only one soul; that you have only one death to die; that you have only one life. . . . If you do this, there will be many things about which you care nothing.” Who cares if our house if in perfect order, the laundry is done and you could eat off the floors if our soul is stained with the sins we have not confessed.

“How is it, Lord, that we are cowards in everything save in opposing Thee?” I hear people talk about being afraid to travel or try a new food. I think of the people who I won’t discuss issues with because it’s easier to just stew about an injustice or harbor resentment or anger. But we don’t seem to fear God. We sin daily not even thinking about offending our Lord and God. Sometimes, even if we do think about our actions ahead of time, we still commit the sin.

 “Pain is never permanent” Ouch, that hurts my ego. I’m pretty quick to complain about aches and pains as if they define everything I do. Of course, it’s not permanent, it’ll either go away or we die with it.

“(said of God):If this is the way you treat your friends, it's no wonder you have so few!” St. Teresa said this after she fell getting out of a carriage. Another quote of hers is “Prayer is nothing else than being on terms of friendship with God.” I guess complaining to God about falling kind of proves that she was on friendly terms.

“Let nothing disturb thee; Let nothing dismay thee; All thing pass; God never changes. Patience attains All that it strives for. He who has God Finds he lacks nothing: God alone suffices.” She pretty well puts it all in one succinct passage. Don’t worry about today and its problems. Eventually they are gone and new concerns take their place. God is always there, He has all we need for now and eternity.

1.       Do not sin and offend God.

2.       Pray the rosary daily.

3.       Fight government interference that tries to restrict religious freedom and promote atheism.

4.       Dress and speak modestly.

5.       Pray for others who are in sin and do not realize their sinful ways.

6.       Pray for those in purgatory.

7.       Do not dwell in comfort, but sacrifice for others.

These were the main themes the Virgin Mary came to tell the world when she appeared in Fatima to the children, Lucia, Francisco and Jacinta. She appeared six times from May until October; the year was 1917. She appeared hovering over a small Holm Oak tree, commonly found in Portugal, as the children stood before that tree. I have sat beside it near the Basilica of the Holy Rosary in Fatima and wondered what they experienced talking with the Blessed Mother.The name Holm Oak always takes me back to Fatima. The name of this blog comes from that memory.

Which one of her requests doesn’t apply today? . On October 13,1917, the Blessed Mother provided the Miracle of the Sun to help everyone believe. The world didn't change then and it hasn’t listened for the last 94 years. Society is moving further away from God each day. Secularism rules the day.

There is no game here. There aren’t any “do overs”.  Mary even showed the children what hell is like in order in imprint on their hearts the seriousness of turning away from sin. Their conversions were immediate and complete. They spent the rest of their lives trying to fulfill what the Virgin had told them.

I saw a woman wearing a shirt the other day that had four squares on it. The first had a cross and said Faith, the second had an arrow pointing down and said Love, the third had an arrow pointing up and said Hope and the last had an arrow pointing right and left and said Serve. That pretty much sums it up.

I look forward to hearing your comments on any of the entries.

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