Thursday, October 31, 2019

ALL HOLLOWS EVE

Job, Chapter 39, Verse 22

He laughs at fear and cannot be terrified; he does not retreat from the sword.

This verse refers to the strength of a war horse. The ancient Greek army would wrangle wild horses and bring them in from the wild in order to train them for war. Not many possessed the strength or willingness to obey needed to be utilized by the Greek cavalry. Some were made into pack animals; some were simply discarded. But those that qualified after being broken were no longer unruly or rebellious or out of control. The war horses – the ‘meek’ – would now charge into battle under control of their masters and maneuver according to his commands. A meek horse was one that had kept its strength but placed it under the authority of the one who had tamed it. When Christ said, “Blessed are the meek,” He was using a military term. Strength under control. Power under authority. Formidable determination in the face of the constant onslaughts of the enemy. The humble willingness to do what your Master commands you to do. We are to develop our God-given strengths as a martial warrior develops his abilities: with the proper understanding of when and when not to use them. The meek Christian lives his life on a knee bent to the One who ransomed his soul. Independence, self-reliance and autonomy should never enter into the equation for the servant of Christ. So, meekness and gentleness, properly understood within their right biblical contexts, are calls to develop an intense and passionate devotion to the things of God, the teachings of Scripture, and the glory of Christ so as to develop a formidable strength within the arena of spiritual warfare. Christian men and women are meant to live at the behest of their master, ready, willing, and, by the grace of God, able to do the work of ministry, whether that be meeting the needs of those who need help or confronting the lies of the false.[1]

All Hallows Eve[2]

Halloween or All Hallows' Eve is not a liturgical feast on the Catholic calendar, but the celebration has deep ties to the Liturgical Year. The three consecutive days — Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day — illustrate the Communion of Saints. We, the Church Militant (those on earth, striving to get to heaven) pray for the Church Suffering (those souls in Purgatory) especially on All Souls Day and the month of November. We rejoice and honor the Church Triumphant (the saints, canonized and uncanonized) in heaven. We also ask the Saints' intercession for us. In England, saints or holy people are called "hallowed," hence the name "All Hallow's Day." The evening, or "e'en" before the feast became popularly known as "All Hallows' Eve" or even shorter, "Hallowe'en." Since it was the night before All Saints Day, "All Hallows Eve" (now known as Hallowe'en), was the vigil and required fasting, many recipes and traditions have come down for this evening, such as pancakes, boxty bread and boxty pancakes, barmbrack (Irish fruit bread with hidden charms), colcannon (combination of cabbage and boiled potatoes). This was also known as "Nutcrack Night" in England, where the family gathered around the hearth to enjoy cider and nuts and apples. Halloween is the preparation and combination of the two upcoming feasts. Although the demonic and witchcraft have no place in a Catholic celebration, some macabre can be incorporated into Halloween. It is good to dwell on our certain death, the Poor Souls in Purgatory, and the Sacrament of the Sick. And tied in with this theme is the saints, canonized and non-canonized. What did they do in their lives that they were able to reach heaven? How can we imitate them? How can we, like these saints, prepare our souls for death at any moment?

The Black Mass: A Parody of the Eucharistic Celebration[3]

The black mass is a ceremony during which the consecration to Satan occurs. The black mass is a parody of [the Catholic] Mass, in which one adores and exalts Satan. Usually it is officiated at night, because the darkness permits greater secrecy and usually the night before a great feast of the Holy Catholic Church. The most important is Halloween, which falls on the night between October 31 and November 1 of each year: it is considered the magic New Year. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the extreme danger for our children and youth who participate in the feast of Halloween on that date.

Black Magic: A Grave Sin against the Faith

On this topic the Catechism of the Catholic Church furnishes the best definition: “All practices of magic or sorcery, by which one attempts to tame occult powers, so as to place them at one’s service and have a supernatural power over others — even if this were for the sake of restoring their health — are gravely contrary to the virtue of religion” (no. 2117). The definition of magic tells us two things. Above all, it has ambition — through the utilization of evil spells, the evil eye, charms, magic filters, rituals, invocations, cursed foods and drinks ingested by the victims, crystal balls, et cetera — to modify and foretell the course of human events, and to utilize the preternatural (demoniac) powers to make a person fall in love, be cured of an illness, be dismissed from a job, kill someone, provoke atmospheric events, et cetera. In other words, magic is a practice used to do evil things and to influence people and the reality created by the devil. This is also valid for the rites that are commonly called “white magic” and that are done for the “good” —please do not be charmed. It is not magically delicious.

Terror of Demons[4]

The Lord has countless secrets to reveal to us about Joseph. God wants to instruct us in the ways of Joseph's faith, perseverance, purity and loyalty. The "Litany of Saint Joseph" is an excellent place to begin. The vivid titles convey so much meaning and truth. One of my favorite appellations from the Litany is "Terror of Demons." Satan and his cohort of fallen angels had no success in seducing Joseph. He checked his temper, he refrained from idle speech and he was righteous in his dealings with his neighbors. Because Joseph was close to the compassionate Almighty, he was enabled to overcome the vicious onslaught of Lucifer and his vindictive companions. Those who turn to Saint Joseph for his powerful intercession and good example do much to keep Satan and the other wholly corrupt devils at bay. In this sense, Joseph is the Terror of Demons because when the friends of Jesus avail themselves of his salutary influence, Saint Joseph is for them a sure protection against the oppressive wiles of the Prince of Darkness. There are numerous prayers to Saint Joseph. What follows is the "Consecration to Saint Joseph."

O Blessed Saint Joseph!

I consecrate myself to thy honor, and give myself to thee, that thou mayest be always my father, my protector, and my guide to the way of salvation.

Obtain for me a great purity of heart and a fervent love of the interior life.

After thy example, may I perform all my actions for the greater glory of God, in union with the Divine Heart of Jesus, and the Immaculate Heart of Mary!

And do thou, O Blessed Joseph, pray for me, that I may experience the peace and joy of thy holy death. Amen.

Sweet Heart of Mary be my salvation!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and my soul.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you: save souls!

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, assist me in my last agony.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, may I breathe forth my soul in peace with you. Amen.

With Saint Joseph as our help, we may confidently approach the Risen Lord Jesus Christ through

Blessed Mary and realize that our humble efforts--poor as they are--will please our merciful God.

Saint Joseph, Terror of Demons, pray for us!

Purgatory[5]

THE word Purgatory is sometimes taken to mean a place, sometimes as an intermediate state between Hell and Heaven. It is, properly speaking, the condition of souls which, at the moment of death, are in the state of grace, but which have not completely expiated their faults, nor attained the degree of purity necessary to enjoy the vision of God. Purgatory is, then, a transitory state which terminates in a life of everlasting happiness. It is not a trial by which merit may be gained or lost, but a state of atonement and expiation. The soul has arrived at the term of its earthly career; that life was a time of trial, a time of merit for the soul, a time of mercy on the part of God. This time once expired, nothing but justice is to be expected from God, whilst the soul can neither gain nor lose merit. She remains in the state in which death found her; and since it found her in the state of sanctifying grace, she is certain of never forfeiting that happy state, and of arriving at the eternal possession of God. Nevertheless, since she is burdened with certain debts of temporal punishment, she must satisfy Divine Justice by enduring this punishment in its entire rigor. Such is the significance of the word Purgatory, and the condition of the souls which are there. On this subject the Church proposes two truths clearly defined as dogmas of faith: first, that there is a Purgatory; second that the souls which are in Purgatory may be assisted by the suffrages of the faithful, especially by the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass.

Daily Devotions

· Drops of Christ’s Blood

· Offering to the sacred heart of Jesus

· Make reparations to the Holy Face

· Thursdays are a good day to do a personal eucharistic stations of the cross.

· Iceman’s 40 devotion

· All Hollows Eve