Great video about the "Catholic Take on Dracula, Zombies, Frankenstein and Halloween"

Take some time and listen to this.
As suggested in the video, you can speed it up using the 'gear' icon at the bottom of the video screen so that it doesn't take quite so long to listen to.

Dominus vobiscum!

I decided to repost this.  I've been bothered by the lack of understanding of the significance of All Saint's Day and its Eve for a long time now.  So here, from 2014, is my post on Halloween/ All Hallows Eve:

Halloween is an important Christian day  --  the eve of the Feast of All Saints.

Every year though I read people asking whether or not it is "OK" for a Christian to celebrate Halloween.
The answer is a resounding YES!

Our modern world is being strongly influenced by the enemy.  Satin is convincing people that he simply does not exist and that hell does not exist.
Halloween reminds us of our own mortality and of the FACT that evil exists.
We are fighting a battle.  One that is more important than a simple "life or death" war.  This war is for our immortal souls.  If we begin to forget evil, when we stop thinking about the four last things (Death, Judgement, Heaven and Hell) we put more than our mortal lives in danger.  We risk our own immortal lives and the lives of everyone else.  This is a battle we cannot fight alone.  For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood; but against principalities and power, against the rulers of the world of this darkness, against the spirits of wickedness in the high places.Ephesians 6:12

Not only that but the very celebration is a Catholic (and therefore Christian) day.
My major beef with the way we celebrate Halloween is two-fold:  1) That we tone down evil and turn it into a fun time with no actual admission that evil exists.  2)  That society celebrates the eve of All Saints Day but not the Feast itself.  That is like celebrating Christmas Eve rather than Christmas.


Others have done research into the myths surrounding Halloween and its origins, so I'll give you links to those sources:

• Halloween: A Catholic View

The Reality of Evil Points Us Toward the Good

 

Much of the modern aversion to Halloween, I think, stems from the same unwillingness to acknowledge the reality of evil. But there's a reason why we dress up as ghouls and goblins on the night before we celebrate the feast of All Saints Day, and, despite the claims of supposed satanists and Wiccans and anti-Halloween Christians like Jack Chick, it's actually a Christian reason: We believe in a world that extends beyond the one that we can see, a world in which angels and demons do contest for the souls of men, and the Prince of Lies grows in power by convincing people that he does not exist.
If for no reason other than the fact that it reminds us that, as Hamlet tells his friend, "There are more things in heaven  and earth, Horatio, / Than are dreamt of in your philosophy," Halloween is worth celebrating.

• Should Catholics Celebrate Halloween?

The Christian Origins of All Hallows Eve

 

The Christian Origins of Halloween

"Halloween" is a name that means nothing by itself. It is a contraction of "All Hallows Eve," and it designates the vigil of All Hallows Day, more commonly known today as All Saints Day. ("Hallow," as a noun, is an old English word for saint. As a verb, it means to make something holy or to honor it as holy.) All Saints Day, November 1, is a Holy Day of Obligation, and both the feast and the vigil have been celebrated since the early eighth century, when they were instituted by Pope Gregory III in Rome. (A century later, they were extended to the Church at large by Pope Gregory IV.)

Finally there's another good resource again addressing the false pagan origins of Halloween:

• Halloween or Samhain?

 The belief that Halloween is pagan in origin is a myth. Many neo-pagan websites claim that it was an attempt by early Christians to “baptize” the Gaelic harvest festival of Samhain. Because of this persistent myth, some Christians are hesitant to participate in anything associated with Halloween.

Holy Michael Archangel, defend us in the day of battle; be our safeguard against the wickedness and snares of the devil. -- May God rebuke him, we humbly pray: and do thou, Prince of the heavenly host, by the power of God thrust down to hell Satin and all the wicked spirits, who wander through the world for the ruin of souls.
Amen.

The Holy Name of Mary - September 12th (Traditional Calendar)

Here's a good post on the Holy Name of Mary:  http://traditional-catholic-missal.blogspot.com/2011/09/most-holy-name-of-mary-september-12th.html

"ATTENDE DOMINE"

My favourite, so here's the link to last year's post:
http://treginator.blogspot.ca/2016/02/enjoy-classic-lenten-hymn-attende-domine.html

EVANGELIZATION: THE WEAPONS OF CHRISTIANITY DO NOT INCLUDE BOMBS OR BULLETS!

I found an excellent article about evangelization on the front of Meménto, a newsletter/publication of the FSSP  --   Fraternitas Sacerdotalis Sancti Petri (The Priestly Fraternity of 
Saint Peter).  This piece, addressed Dear Friends of the Fraternity, was written for the June 2016 issue.

I have quoted here some excerpts.

"As we observe the increasing violence around the world from those who think that we, as Catholics, are the infidels, God has given us the opportunity to reflect on how strongly we believe the truths of the Holy Faith and how seriously we take them.
The martyrdoms of the Missionaries of Charity in Yemen this past March [of 2016] ... reveal the diabolical hatred of Jesus Christ and His Church." 

"Christ commanded the Apostles to teach all nations and to baptize them."

In other words -

"He wants converts to His Church.  Not only that, He actually expects all the members of His Church to be true cooperators in this work ..." 

"Failure to make efforts to evangelize the Faith  --  either by example or by word  --  compromises the divinely mandated mission of the Church in her unique work for the salvation of souls."

"So, when Catholics have grown unconcerned about evangelization and fail to live in a habitual state of grace ... this serves to promote the very force that is terrorizing the world."  (Emphasis mine.)

"It has become evident that we cannot all just get along  --  and maybe that is a good thing  --  but how we don't get along is very important.  We do not go lopping off heads;  rather, with firmness of Faith we go to the Cross and profess unashamedly the divine identity of the Crucified ..."

"Always remember:  the weapons of Christianity  --  devout prayer, penance, the Rosary, and (most especially) the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass  --  wage more terror in hell than a bomb does in an airport."

"No prayer, no sacrifice goes unremarked by our merciful Father in heaven."

- Fr. Gerard Saguto, FSSP
  North American District Superior

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH

This prayer is traditionally said for the nine days preceding the Feast of Saint Joseph (March 19th), however it can be prayed at any time during the year.

Novena to Saint Joseph

Glorious Saint Joseph, foster-father and protector of Jesus Christ!  To you I raise my heart and my hands to implore your powerful intercession.  Please obtain for me from the kind Heart of Jesus the help and the graces necessary for my spiritual and temporal welfare.  I ask particularly for the grace of a happy death and the special favour I now implore.

[Mention your request here.]

Guardian of the Word Incarnate, I feel animated with confidence that your prayers on my behalf will be graciously heard before the throne of God.

 (The following is to be said seven times in honor of the seven joys and seven sorrows of Saint Joseph.)

V.  O glorious St. Joseph, through the love you bear to Jesus Christ, and for the glory of His Name.

R.  Hear my prayers and obtain my petitions.

Amen.

Gods411 : What is Lent?

Gods411 : What is Lent?