"Wow", one might think. A Catholic feast day turned completely secular (and to some extent, anti-Catholic). What are we, as good Catholics, supposed to do?
There are a number of ways that we can celebrate All Hallows’ Eve in a way that is pleasing to God and gives glory and honor to the Saints. Instead of participating in parties that neglect God and the Saints (if not worse), try to make these friends in Heaven the focus of the celebration.
We, as Catholics, must do our best to remind the secular society that this day called "Halloween" is really "All Hallows’ Eve". If we are celebrating the eve of the feast of All Saints, then people should be able to tell. And why not give the Saints their honor due? Dress up as a Saint this All Hallows’ Eve as you travel about collecting your candy. And instead of saying "Trick or Treat!", why not wish those who give you treats a "Happy All Hallows’ Eve!" instead. And who knows? Maybe, by your good example, people will be curious to learn more about "All Hallows’ Eve". Perhaps they’ll investigate the reason for the feast and try to honor it themselves. They may even study the lives of the Saints and in particular, try to find out more about the Saint that you dressed up as.
There is yet another and more noble, heroic way to celebrate All Hallows’ Eve; a practice that most if not everyone has forgotten. And that is the path of reparation. Reparation is paying or making up for the damage caused by something; in this case, sin. What Our Lord and Our Lady need, at a time when Catholicism is despised or forgotten, is people who are willing to go a step further than the average man and earn the graces that this world is in desperate need of.
For you see, there is a kind of "supernatural system", in this world. It is a system that unites all human beings in a cause-effect way. Whenever anyone sins, not only do they effect themselves, but they spiritually and at times physically hurt all of humanity and the universe God created. Seriously, when someone sins, everyone suffers its effects. Things like floods, earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, and other natural disasters are an obvious example for the results of people’s sins. Our Lady of Fatima even said that wars were a result of mens' sins. But it can get to a personal level. Things like sicknesses, from wide-spread plagues to household colds, are also the results of sin.
For example, the reason you get headaches is a result of the sin (including yours) which is in the world. And it isn’t completely a punishment either. Any suffering that God sends us in this life is an opportunity for us to make reparation; reparation for the sins which caused you to get that headache.
Some people might think that it is unfair that everyone suffers when someone sins. But there’s another side of this system. When someone does something virtuous, everyone benefits! If we look at our example again, except in this new light, we now see that when WE commit a sin, we too can benefit from someone else’s headache - offered on their part as a sacrifice. And since good, although more rare than evil, is greatly superior and more powerful than it, the virtuous deeds done by people on earth goes a lot farther than the evil does.
So what does a sacrifice consist of?
There are several points we would like to explain. First of all, there are three kinds of thoughts, words and deeds that human beings can perform: Those that are sinful, those that are virtuous, and those that are not sinful, but are not virtuous. Things that are sinful are those things that we should not do, but we chose to do them anyway. Things that are virtuous are those things that we should do and we choose to do them. They also include things that we don’t have to do, but we choose to do them anyway so that we may offer up a sacrifice.
For example, it would be a sin of gluttony (eating or drinking improperly) to eat a lot of candy at once, no matter what time of year it is. It is okay to eat some candy on any occasion - this of course only with your parent’s permission. It is not virtuous to eat some candy but it is not sinful if you have permission and don’t eat a lot. If however, you choose to not eat some candy, when you have the opportunity, and instead offer it up to Jesus and Mary, this is virtuous, and the kind of sacrifice that people who have become Saints have done. Also, you could share your candy, especially the candy you like the most, with others as a sacrifice.
So, as far as eating the candy collected on All Hallows’ Eve, you may eat some of it, but certainly not all of it or even a lot of it. But, you can also not eat any candy and offer it up. You could offer it up in gratitude to God and all the Holy Saints for all that they have done and will do to help us with all of our needs, especially our spiritual needs. The following day, after All Saints’ day, is All Souls’ day. This is the day when our holy mother the Church wants to remind all of us to be merciful to the Poor Souls in Purgatory. So you can wait to eat your candy for another day and offer it up this time to help all the Souls in Purgatory. Whenever you offer up anything, prayers, sacrifices, good works, alms, etc. always offer it up in Jesus’ Name, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, and in union with Our Lord and Our Lady and all of their merits.
Do you remember the event in the Gospels when thousands of people needed to eat and there was no food? What happened? Even the Apostles wanted Our Lord to send everyone home. But Jesus said to find someone in the crowd with some food. Only a boy was found and he had only a few pieces of bread and a couple of fish. This little bit of food was placed in a basket and then blessed by Our Lord. After that, the Apostles were sent out to distribute the food to many thousands. And after everyone had eaten their fill of this delicious food, many baskets of leftovers were collected. In this story, we learn many things. First of all, the bread and fish represent our prayers and sacrifices. There was very little to offer to Our Lord. This shows that whatever we do truly has very little merit on its own. Then this little bit of food was placed in a basket and brought to Our Lord. This basket represents the Blessed Virgin Mary, symbolized by her Immaculate Heart. Whenever we offer anything to or through the Immaculate Heart of Mary, we are "placing our bits of food in the basket". Whenever we offer up anything in Jesus’ Name we are asking Him to bless it. In this story, God is showing us how He will receive, from Our Lady’s hands, whatever little we have to give and then bless it and distribute it through His Mother to thousands of souls. The final thing to learn from this story is the sad fact that very few were found that had any food at all. Tragically, this shows us what the history of the Church has proven - that in every age the number of Catholics that actually try to live their Catholic Faith and grow in holiness is very few.
But the saddest truth is that people do not realize that God has created each of us to become Roman Catholic Saints. Because this is what God desires for us, it is the most perfect thing for us. Saints have the best lives no matter how you look at it. They have the most interesting lives, the most important lives, the most fulfilling lives and they will be the happiest people forever in Heaven. They are the only true heroes for they offer up their lives to: help all the Poor Souls in Purgatory; to save all people; for the health and protection of the Roman Catholic Church; to console the Sacred and Immaculate Hearts of all their sufferings, and to increase the beatitudes and glories of the Most Holy Trinity and the Blessed Virgin Mary. There is no other type of life that anyone ever has, or can, live that could even begin to compare with the life of a Catholic Saint. The world and the Church are always in desperate need of Saints, but the age that we find ourselves in today has a need greater than any other in the history of the world. Certainly, Our Lady is forming now some of the greatest Saints that have ever lived. And these great Saints will assist Her in the triumph of her Immaculate Heart over all the enemies of the Church, both human and demonic. The Triumph of her most precious Heart will usher in a time of true peace and prosperity for the world. This has been foretold in the prophecies of Catholic Saints from the past and promised by Our Lady in Fatima, Portugal in 1917. All those who assist the Blessed Virgin Mary in this darkest time will be counted amoung the most faithful and loving children of God and Our Lady forever in Heaven.
If you go out on All Hallows’ Eve, try to dress as something holy. Say something positive and Catholic, like "Happy All Hallows’ Eve" and if you receive some treat say "God Bless you". If you want to offer up eating some candy that night, or giving some of your favorite candy away, remember to offer it in Jesus’ Name through the Immaculate Heart of Mary. These types of actions would be virtuous.
What you may not do is dress up as anything that glorifies sin, horror, or rebellion from God. Also you must not eat a lot of the candy all at once. Of course, you must never actually say or do anything bad if someone refuses to give you a treat. These types of actions would be sinful. You can also just go out, dressed up as something that is neither holy nor evil, collect your candy, go home when your done and eat some of it. This is neither sinful nor virtuous.
The world and the devil have certainly put a lot of energy into devolving our holy days into holidays. This does not mean that every holiday is evil, but it does mean that those days that began as Roman Catholic feastdays and are now just secular holidays are bad because they have destroyed everything that is holy about those days. God has been removed from them and that is always bad. But many people have been raised with these secularized holy days and we must always have great patience and kindness when we are trying to explain to people why it is wrong to sing "Jingle bells" at Christmas, or get drunk on St. Patrick’s day, or focus on an "Easter bunny" instead of our Resurrected Redeemer, etc. We can try to explain to them what we believe is right, but if they do not see it for themselves we must pray for them so that they will receive the grace to understand what truly glorifies and pleases God.
So you see now some of the wrong ways to participate in All Hallows’ Eve as well as those that are permissible. You’ve also received some ideas for actions that would be virtuous. If you choose to do any of these virtuous actions make sure that it does not disturb the peace in your house. You must obey your parents in all things except sinful things. Parent may not permit or encourage their children to dress up in any way that offends God or to eat an excessive amount of candy. But if your brothers or sisters do not want to dress up as something holy (as long as it is not un-holy either) it is important not to get upset with them. Also, if we choose to give up our candy but others in our family do not, it is again important not to get upset with them or your parents. Virtue must be freely chosen. Instead, pray for them and set a good example. This is always the best way to convince people to change their lives if they will not listen right away.
I hope you found this information helpful. There is so much more about growing in holiness and becoming a Saint. Would you like to become a Saint? It’s what God created you to be. In a very real way it is, in a manner of speaking, your destiny and the only true fulfillment of your life. All of us here at the Catholic Kingdom are praying that you have the courage, make the effort, and become the great Saint God created you to be. Please pray the same for us. May this All Hallows’ Eve bring you and all who you love closer to Our Lord, Our Lady and all of the Saints!
God Bless you all! You and your families have a safe and blessed All Hallows’ Eve!