"Upon This Rock Blog"

By Father Don

November Saints

Each Halloween, as the sun sets, children go forth door-to-door in costumes that allow them to collect candy, enjoy their childhood, and perhaps dream about who they will become. Long ago, kids dressed up in colors, bright and beautiful, as saints for All Halo’s Eve; now, many clothe themselves in costumes that are dark, drab, and demonic. In this, we consider the reality of death and possibilities that lie beyond it.
According to an old Irish folk tale, a trickster named Jack died on the last day of October, but was suited neither for heaven or for hell, so in a mutual agreement between above and below, he was condemned to walk the earth, and given a lantern to carry so that he might find a way beyond his dark tricks, become a treat for others, and get counted among the saints. The story of Jack O’Lantern reminds us that humans exist on a level somewhere between demons and deity, between sinners and saints. As we leave October and enter November, we are challenged to reflect upon all saints and all souls, upon life and death, upon punishment and reward, upon mortality and eternity. Read the Full Post.