Rejoice and be glad,
for your reward will be great in heaven.
Matthew 5:12
When I was in elementary school, the good sisters made it clear that there would be no Halloween without All Saints Day. Halloween evolved from “The Eve of All Hallows” -the day before the saints’ holy day. In centuries past, adults in some European countries paraded in costumes on the Eve of All Hallows. They depicted various stages of our lives and our positions in the human hierarchy. This was all to remind us that no one is exempt from death. Today, children dress up as princesses and super-heroes, witches and ghosts with the hope of gathering as much candy as possible. I’m quite certain that none of them will give a thought to their mortality today.
Though the children who come to our doors aren’t thinking much about life after this life, they do come with their hope intact. Trick-or-treaters hope more than anything that we will drop their favorite treats into their bags. As for me, I plan to engage in some hope of my own. Between doorbell rings, I will consider the hopeful lives of my loved ones who have passed away. I will pray to them and request their help in keeping hope alive in my life. I will allow my trick-or-treaters to teach me to look beyond the masks we sometimes wear to the gifts buried deep within those around me. We must always hope for the best in one another. I will look beneath the surface of the tricky situations which trouble me today, with hope in God’s ability to turn these troubles into treats of opportunity.
Yes, Halloween and every day give us reason to hope!
Loving God, thank you for getting us through life’s tricky times by filling us up with the treats of your love and companionship.
©2014 Mary Penich – All Rights Reserved
Mary Penich 
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