Allhallowtide

“Let us kindle the love of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary in the hearts of all people.” – St. Gaetano Errico

This week marks a time of year that gets lost in culture but I want to advocate for bringing it back to its roots.  I wrote an article back in 2017 on “How to do Halloween Right” for our college newsletter we called, Oasis Magazine. I think we should take another look at the season of Allhallowtide. Including Halloween, All Saints, & All Souls Day, Allhallowtide reminds us of what awaits us at the end of life – death. As the Latin term goes, “Memento Mori”, remember your death. This season is filled with commercial-grade celebrations of death and occultic images, a pure counterfeit of what the season should be. A remembrance of our call to holiness, a remembrance of our call to pray for the dead because before long, we will be the ones who will either need prayer after death or in Heaven as a Saint praying for those still here.  

All Saints Day is a holy day of obligation, come to Mass and bring your family as we celebrate with the communion of Saints. We’re called the Church Militant because we’re still fighting the spiritual war. We’re tempted in great ways to turn away from Jesus. The Saints are the Church’s Triumphant because their triumph was to overcome the traps of the enemy and follow Jesus on the narrow way.  It’s not something done by ourselves but by the grace of God and the intercessory prayers of other souls here and beyond. Pray for each other. Pray for those on their way through Purgatory with All Souls Day as a reminder.

Reconsider this season. Sure, have fun. Make sure it’s holy though. Don’t pursue the occult or the inappropriate. Halloween is not a free pass to sin so don’t fall for the trap. Pursue prayer. Greatness awaits, memento more! 

St. Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle…

In Christ,

Adam Jarosz

This post was written for the Elevate email list directed at the young adults of SGYM3 by Adam Jarosz, the founder of Righteous Co.