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| Oct 31 (Thu) | Vigil of All Saints (Anti-Halloween) | Mystery, communion, resistance | Stagg Jr. – bold, unfiltered | Padron 1926 Maduro | “Where am I tempted by unhollow spectacle?” “How do I keep vigil with the saints in silence and light?” |
🎭 Unhollow Spectacle and Holy Vigil
In a world of constant display, I am tempted by unhollow spectacle—by the lure of performance without presence, noise without depth, and beauty stripped of meaning. It shows up in curated images, clever words, and rituals emptied of reverence. The temptation is not always loud; sometimes it whispers through comparison, urgency, or the need to be seen. Spectacle asks for attention. Holiness asks for devotion.
To resist, I keep vigil with the saints—in silence and light. I light a candle not to be noticed, but to notice. I sit in stillness not to escape, but to attend. The saints do not clamor; they accompany. Their presence is quiet, radiant, and real. In their company, I remember that grace is not a show—it is a slow unfolding. I keep vigil by choosing depth over display, presence over performance, and light over spectacle.
Every Saturday is a day dedicated to the
Mother of God
1.
Quia fecit mihi magna[1]. "For he who
is mighty has done great things for me" (Lk. 1:49).
We
conclude the work of the ninth ordinary general assembly of the Synod of
Bishops, dedicated to consecrated life and its mission in the church and in the
world, with this celebration. We close them on a Saturday - a day traditionally
dedicated to the mother of God. Therefore, we address ourselves to Mary in a
particular way in today's eucharistic sacrifice, borrowing the words of thanks
from the Magnificat, which the church repeats every day in the Liturgy of the
Hours: "He has done great things for me." Fecit mihi magna.
Vatican
Council II was a "great thing" for the church, which could correctly
be defined as the most significant ecclesial event of our century. On the
background of this first and fundamental "great thing," given to us
by the Lord, other "great things" can be recognized, achieved by him
during the recent past. The institution of the Synod of Bishops may surely be
placed among these, which by now has its own history, developed during the
postconciliar period. This last synodal assembly can now be recorded in its
history, which was greatly expected and - we all hope - not less fruitful than
the preceding ones.
To
the apostolic exhortations Familiaris Consortio, Christifideles Laici,
Pastores Dabo Vobis thus now we will have the joy of following with a
new postsynodal document, of which we still do not know the incipit but
which certainly will reflect what has emerged during the course of the
assembly, which ends today. There have been weeks of intense work during which
consecrated life and its mission have been at the center of reflection and
prayer by the church.
2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God"
(Ps. 42:3). The readings proclaimed now contain many lights able to make clear
the singular state of ecclesial life which is consecrated life. The
responsorial psalm remembers the liturgy of baptism with the blessing of the
holy water during the great paschal vigil of Holy Saturday.
Baptism
is the first and fundamental consecration of the human person. Beginning new
existence in Christ, the baptized-man or woman -participates in this
consecration, in this total donation to the Father which is proper to his
eternal Son. It is he himself-the Son-who incites in man's soul the desire to
give oneself without reservation to God: My soul thirsts for God, for the
living God. When shall I come and behold the face of God?" (Ps. 42:3).
Religious
consecration, with its distinct eschatological dimension, is inserted on
baptismal consecration. No one has ever seen God (cf. Jn. 1:18) during this
life. This is however the beatific vision, that is, the seeing of the visage of
God "face to face" (1 Cor. 13:12), the definite vocation beyond time
of each man. Consecrated persons have the duty of reminding everyone of this.
Faith prepares us for this beatific vision, in which God gives himself to man
with the measure of love with which this last one answered to the eternal love,
revealed in the incarnation and in the cross of Christ.
3. "For to me, to live is Christ" (Phil.
1:21), writes Paul the apostle. Amori Christi nihil praeponatur, St.
Benedict proclaims in his rules. Amori Christi in pauperibus nihil
praeponatur, St. Vincent de Paul will say 1,000 years later.
What
marvelous strength these words contain! Could one think about culture and
European civilization without them? And the great missionary epics of the first
and the second millennium, could they be imagined without them? And what to say
about monasticism of the Eastern Christian, whose beginnings go back to the
first centuries of Christianity? Thus, those who in following the poor, chaste
and obedient Christ had abandoned the world, at the same time transformed it.
In them was achieved the invocation: "Send forth thy Spirit and renew the
face of the earth" (cf. Ps. 103:30). The Holy Spirit knows the "times
and the moments" in which one must call upon persons suited for the duties
required by the historical circumstances.
At
that time, he called upon Benedict and his sister Scholastica. He called
Bernard, Francis and Clare of Assisi, Bonaventure, Dominic, Thomas Aquinas and
St. Catherine of Siena. From the public squares the Gospel reached the
university chairs. At the time of the Eastern schism and the Reformation he
called upon Ignatius Loyola, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and then
Francis Xavier and Peter Claver. With them, a deep spiritual reform was
achieved, and the missionary epic in the East and in the West began.
During
the centuries closest to us the Spirit, which renews the face of the earth,
called upon others such as John Baptist de La Salle, Paul of the Cross,
Alphonse Maria Liguori and John Bosco, to only mention but a few of the most
noteworthy ones. At the end of the last century and during the present, the
same Spirit of the Father and of the Son spoke through Teresa of the Infant
Jesus, through Maximilian Kolbe and through Sister Faustina.
What
would the world be, ancient and modern, without these figures-and those of many
others? They learned from Christ that "his yoke is easy and his burden is
light" (cf. Mt. 11:30), and they taught this to others.
4. We conclude this synodal assembly almost on the eve
of the solemnity of All Saints. The Book of the Apocalypse mentions this
immense multitude, coming from every nation, people and tongue, standing before
the heavenly throne and before the Lamb of God (cf. Rv. 7:9). The significant
question follows: "Who are these clothed in white robes, and whence have
they come?"
From
where do they come? we also ask ourselves. Do they not come from the
innumerable institutes of consecrated life, male and female, present in the
church? The canonizations and the beatifications proclaimed through the
centuries give witness of this. The beatifications, which during this month
have almost accompanied the synodal way, give particular witness of this.
5. Today, the last Saturday of October, we offer up to
you, Mary, mother and virgin, humble handmaiden of the Lord and queen of all
the saints, the fruits of the work of the synod. We entrust them to you, queen
of the holy rosary, queen of this beautiful prayer which has sustained us day
by day during the entire month.
Make
it possible that these fruits, through a singular exchange of gifts, may be
useful also to the cause of the family, complying with the design of divine
providence, which desired the celebration of this symbol on consecrated life
during the Year of the Family.
They
praise you, Lord, the consecrated persons. They praise you, the Christian
families of the entire world. She praises you, the church, for the gift of the
synod.
This
item 5454 digitally provided courtesy of CatholicCulture.org
Are you Afraid?
Is Christ speaking to your heart? Are you afraid to
believe? Are you unsure of your ability to carry the burden of true religious
convictions? Assuage your fears and begin again asking Mary to help you. She is
the first of the warrior saints to enter heaven. She as our mother and wants us
to entertain the same joys of eternal life and find
new ways of being sons and daughters.
Saturday
Litany of the Hours Invoking the Aid of Mother Mary[2]
say
hourly upon waking till you go to sleep
1.
Through
the consent of Our Lady, the New Eve, the Son of God became Man and crushed the
head of the ancient Serpent who had deceived the first Eve. By the Blessed
Mother’s assistance, we are able to take part in her Son’s victory over the
Devil and his legions. The Hail Mary: Hail, Mary, full of grace, the Lord is
with you. Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb,
Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of
our death. AMEN.
At Morning
O most holy Virgin, Mother of our Lord
Jesus Christ: by the overwhelming grief you experienced when you witnessed the
martyrdom, the crucifixion, and the death of your divine Son, look upon me with
eyes of compassion, and awaken in my heart a tender commiseration for those
sufferings, as well as a sincere detestation of my sins, in order that, being
disengaged from all undue affection for the passing joys of this earth, I may
sigh after the eternal Jerusalem, and that henceforward all my thoughts and all
my actions may be directed towards this one most desirable object. Honor,
glory, and love to our divine Lord Jesus, and to the holy and immaculate Mother
of God. Amen. --Saint Bonaventure
2.
The
Memorare to Our Lady: Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it
known that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, and sought
your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired with this confidence, I fly to
you, O Virgin of Virgins, my mother; to you I come, before you I stand, sinful
and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions; but in
your clemency hear and answer me. AMEN.
3.
Queen
of Heaven, Reign with your Son over the Enemy. Queen of Angels Summon the
heavenly hosts to war. New Eve of the New Creation Crush the head of the
Serpent. Our Lady of Victory Come to our aid in battle. Help of Christians Be
our comfort and strength. Virgin Most Powerful, Guard us from all harm. Holy
Mother of God, we fly to your protection. AMEN.
4.
O
Mary, powerful Virgin, you are the mighty and powerful protector of the Church;
you are the marvelous help of Christians; you are terrifying as an army in
battle array; you alone have destroyed every heresy in the whole world. In the
midst of our anguish, our struggles, and our distresses, defend us from the
power of the Enemy, and at the hour of our death, receive our souls in
paradise. AMEN.
5.
We
fly to your protection, O holy Mother of God. Despise not our petitions in our
necessities, but deliver us always from all dangers, O glorious and blessed
Virgin. AMEN.
At Noon
Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of
Martyrs, accept the sincere homage of my filial affection. Into thy heart,
pierced by so many swords, do thou welcome my poor soul. Receive it as the
companion of thy sorrows at the foot of the Cross, on which Jesus died for the
redemption of the world. With thee, O sorrowful Virgin, I will gladly suffer
all the trials, contradictions, and infirmities which it shall please our Lord
to send me. I offer them all to thee in memory of thy sorrows, so that every
thought of my mind, and every beat of my heart may be an act of compassion and
of love for thee. And do thou, sweet Mother, have pity on me, reconcile me to
thy divine Son Jesus, keep me in His grace, and assist me in my last agony, so
that I may be able to meet thee in heaven and sing thy glories. Amen.
6.
Most
holy Virgin, who was pleasing to the Lord and became His mother, immaculate in
body and spirit, in faith and in love, look kindly on the wretched ones who
implore your powerful patronage. The wicked Serpent, against whom was hurled
the first curse, continues fiercely to attack and ensnare the unhappy children
of Eve. So then, O Blessed Mother, our queen and advocate, who from the first
instant of your conception crushed the head of the Enemy, receive the prayers
which, united with you in our single heart, we implore you to present at the
throne of God; so that we may never fall into the snares that are laid out for
us, and may all arrive at the harbor of salvation. And in so many dangers, may
the Church and Christian society sing once again the hymn of deliverance and of
victory and of peace. AMEN.
7.
O
Queen of Angels, Bane of Devils: The proud spirits of wickedness were
humiliated by your perfect humility; their rebellion was scattered by your
perfect obedience. Your fiat overthrew Eve’s baleful consent to the ancient
Serpent, crushing his head, exposing his deceits, and healing the wounds
inflicted by his venom, through the Son you conceived, Jesus Christ, our Lord.
Come to our aid, Our Lady of Victory! When the battle rages, when our strength
fails, when the Enemy wounds us, when defeat seems certain: With your mantle,
cover and protect us; with your bright banner above us, dispel the darkness; so
that we may rally again in combat through the invincible power of your Son.
Then, when our warfare is complete, and our victory won, lead us from the battlefield
to His glorious Throne, so that we may join you there in a glad song of
everlasting triumph! AMEN.
8.
O
holy Virgin, Mother of God, my mother and patroness, I place myself under your
protection; I throw myself with confidence into the arms of your compassion. Be
to me, O Mother of Mercy, my refuge in distress; my consolation in suffering;
and my advocate with your Son, who is worthy to be adored, now and at the hour
of my death. AMEN.
At 3PM
Most holy Virgin. and Mother, whose soul
was pierced by a sword of sorrow in the Passion of thy divine Son, and who in
His glorious Resurrection wast filled with never-ending joy at His triumph;
obtain for us who call upon thee, so to be partakers in the adversities of Holy
Church and the sorrows of the Sovereign Pontiff, as to be found worthy to
rejoice with them in the consolations for which we pray, in the charity and
peace of the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
9.
O
Mother of God, we take refuge in your loving care. Do not let our plea to you
pass unheeded in the trials that beset us, but deliver us from danger, for you
alone are truly pure, you alone are truly blessed. AMEN.
10. My Queen and my
Mother, I give myself entirely to you; and in proof of my affection, I give you
my eyes, my ears, my tongue, my heart, my whole being without reserve. Since I
am your own, keep me and guard me as your property and possession. AMEN.
11. August Queen of
Heaven! Sovereign Mistress of the angels! You who from the beginning have
received from God the power and mission to crush the head of Satan: We humbly
beg You to send your holy legions of angels so that, under your command and by
your power, they may pursue the evil spirits, encounter them on every side,
resist their bold attacks, and drive them away from here into the abyss of
eternal woe. O good and tender Mother, you will always be our love and hope! O
Mother of God, send your holy angels to defend us and to drive far away from us
the cruel Enemy. Holy angels and archangels, defend us, guard us! AMEN.
12. Mary, Mother of
Grace, Mother of Mercy, protect me from the Enemy and receive me at the hour of
death. AMEN.
At Twilight
O most holy and afflicted Virgin! Queen of
Martyrs! thou who didst stand motionless beneath the Cross, witnessing the
agony of thy expiring Son--through the unceasing sufferings of thy life of
sorrow, and the bliss which now more than amply repays thee for thy past
trials, look down with a mother's tenderness and pity on me, who kneel before
thee to venerate thy dolors, and place my requests, with filial confidence, in
the sanctuary of thy wounded heart; present them, I beseech thee, on my behalf,
to Jesus Christ, through the merits of His own most sacred death and passion,
together with thy sufferings at the foot of the cross, and through the united
efficacy of both obtain the grant of my present petition. To whom shall I
resort in my wants and miseries if not to thee, O Mother of Mercy, who, having
so deeply drunk of the chalice of thy Son, canst compassionate the woes of
those who still sigh in the land of exile? Offer for me to my Savior one drop
of the Blood which flowed from His sacred veins, one of the tears which
trickled from His divine eyes, one of the sighs which rent His adorable Heart.
O refuge of the universe and hope of the whole world, do not reject my humble
prayer, but graciously obtain the grant of my petition.
13. We fly to your
patronage, O holy Mother of God; despise not our petitions in our necessities
but deliver us always from all dangers. O glorious and blessed Virgin.
AMEN.
14. Allow me to praise
you, Virgin, most holy; give me strength against your enemies! Tender heart of
Mary be my safety!
At
Slumber
Mary most sorrowful, Mother of Christians,
pray for us. Virgin most sorrowful, pray for us.
NIC’s Corner
Keep you time with God sacred and important.
o Friday Fish: Ceviche
· Spirit Hour: witches brew
· Get an indulgence
o How to celebrate Oct 31st
· Watch a Frankenstein movie or reading the classic novel to appreciate the origins of the story. Treat yourself to warm breadsticks for lunch, celebrating the simple joys in life.
· End the night with a Halloween movie or by learning about Reformation Day, reflecting on history.
🎃 Rich vs Poor Tour: Falkland Islands vs Togo
Ghosts of Isolation and Saints of Song
NIC’s Corner Halloween Edition
As October turns toward All Saints and All Souls, the Rich vs Poor Tour becomes a liturgical mirror—reflecting not just GDP, but the spiritual hauntings and holy echoes of each land. In this Halloween edition, we walk with the ghosts of remote affluence and the saints of resilient poverty.
🇫🇰 Falkland Islands (Islas Malvinas) — Remote, Wealthy, and Spiritually Sparse
GDP per capita: ~$77,692 USD (2024 est.)
🧮 Why the Falklands Rank High in Per Capita Income
- Small population (~3,500) amplifies per capita metrics
- Revenue from commercial fishing and aquaculture (~59% of GDP)
- Government stability and British support
- Tourism and wool exports supplement income
✝️ Quality of Life for Catholics
- Catholic presence is minimal, no diocese, only a small parish in Stanley
- Religious services often shared ecumenically due to population size
- Faith expression is quiet, often private or heritage-based
- Pilgrimage potential tied to South Pole Eucharistic legacy and maritime chaplaincy
⚠️ Challenges
- Sparse clergy and limited sacramental access
- Isolation limits communal liturgy and catechesis
- Faith often overshadowed by economic pragmatism
- Cultural Catholicism exists more in memory than mission
🎃 Halloween Symbolism: Falklands — Ghosts of Isolation
- Haunted Simplicity: A chapel on the edge of the world, rarely filled
- Liturgical Silence: No cathedral bells, only wind and sea
- Ghostly Faith: Present in maritime memory, absent in daily rhythm
- Pilgrim Act: Visit the Stanley parish, light a candle for Eucharistic mercy in extremity
🇹🇬 Togo — Economically Strained, Spiritually Flourishing
GDP per capita: ~$1,052 USD (2024)
🧮 Why Togo Ranks Low in Per Capita Income
- Limited infrastructure and healthcare
- Political instability and governance issues
- Agricultural dependence and phosphate exports
- High birth rates and low investment
✝️ Quality of Life for Catholics
- ~25% of the population is Catholic
- Seven dioceses including the Archdiocese of Lomé
- Missionary legacy in education, healthcare, peacebuilding
- Liturgies blend local music, language, and dance
- Caritas Togo active in humanitarian work
⚠️ Challenges
- Many parishes lack basic supplies
- Vocations are growing but still limited
- Political unrest affects pastoral outreach
- Poverty impacts catechesis and sacramental access
🎃 Halloween Symbolism: Togo — Saints of Song
- Living Witnesses: Catechists, nurses, and priests who serve amid scarcity
- Liturgical Fire: Masses sung in Ewe and Kabiye, danced with joy
- Saintly Faith: Not canonized, but communal—faith lived in dust and grace
- Pilgrim Act: Join a village vigil, praying for peace and Eucharistic joy
✨ NIC’s Corner: A Halloween Benediction
This Halloween, the Rich vs Poor Tour becomes a litany of contrast:
• In Togo, the saints are barefoot and singing.
• In the Falklands, the ghosts wear wool and whisper in wind.
• One dances with the Eucharist.
• The other remembers it from the edge of the world.
Whether in the quiet chapel of Stanley or the vibrant chapel of Lomé, the Gospel is alive etched in maritime memory, sung in dust, and carried in hope. May our candles light the way for saints yet to rise, and ghosts yet to be redeemed.
Day 32: St. Damien of Molokai — A Saint of Respect, choreographed to deepen the rhythm of Leafing the World Behind, now moving through the terrain of Character of Destiny—where vocation becomes reverence, and respect becomes radical presence.
🌊 Leafing the World Behind: Day 32
Witness: St. Damien of Molokai
Theme: Respect as Radical Presence
Virtue: Respect
Virtue Connection: Dignity in Proximity
Symbolic Act: Touch someone today with reverence—a handshake, a blessing, a gentle word. Let it be a gesture of dignity, not distance.
Location: A hospital room, a vineyard row, a place of exclusion—anywhere where presence becomes healing.
🕊️ Introduction: On Respect
Respect is not distance—it is dignity.
It is not politeness—it is presence.
To leaf the world behind is to draw near to the forgotten, to honor the wounded, to dwell with the cast out.
Today, we do not pity—we participate.
Respect, in this rhythm, is not sentiment—it is sacrament.
It is the courage to say: “I will live among you.”
🌺 Witness of the Day: St. Damien of Molokai
Damien was a Belgian priest who volunteered to serve the leper colony on Molokai, Hawaii.
He did not visit—he stayed.
He built homes, dug graves, bandaged wounds, and celebrated Mass.
He touched the untouchable.
He became one of them.
Eventually, he contracted leprosy himself.
He said:
“We lepers.”
Not “they.” Not “them.”
“We.”
Damien reminds us:
Respect is not sympathy—it is solidarity.
It is not safe—it is sacrificial.
It is not distant—it is divine.
🛡️ Virtue Connection: Dignity in Proximity
Respect becomes virtue when it draws near.
When it does not sanitize suffering—but sanctifies it.
When it does not observe—but inhabits.
Damien did not serve from afar.
He served from within.
He reminds us:
Respect without proximity becomes pity.
But respect with proximity becomes presence.
🕯️ Symbolic Act: Touch with Reverence
Offer one gesture of reverence today.
A touch, a word, a presence.
Let it be healing.
Let it be holy.
As you act, say:
“Lord, let my respect be presence.
Let my presence be dignity.
Let my dignity be communion.”
If no one is near, pray for those cast out.
Let your prayer be a dwelling place.
🔥 Reflection Prompt
Where have you kept distance from the wounded?
What fear has kept you from proximity?
Can you name one person whose respect restored your dignity?
Write, walk, or pray with these questions.
Let St. Damien remind you:
Respect is not weakness—it is witness.
It is the strength to dwell, the grace to touch, the love to say “we.”
🍂 All Hallows’ Eve: Leafing the World Behind
Tonight, the veil thins.
All Hallows’
Eve is not merely a prelude to candy and costumes—it is a threshold. A liminal
pause between harvest and hallowing, between the fading of October’s gold and
the rising of November’s saints. It is the night we remember the holy dead and
rehearse our own dying: not in fear, but in freedom.
We leaf the
world behind.
Like autumn
leaves, we let fall our pretenses, our striving, our civic fatigue. We walk the
vineyard rows or river trails not to escape, but to shed. To remember that
sainthood begins with surrender. That the soil receives what the world
discards—and from it, grace grows.
🕯️ Saints Who Stir the Shadows
Tonight, we
honor the saints who walked strange paths:
·
St. Denis: Carried his
own severed head through the streets of Paris, preaching mercy even in death.
·
St. Christina
the Astonishing: Rose from her bier, levitated to the rafters, and warned
the lukewarm of purgatory’s fire.
·
St. Bartholomew:
Flayed alive, yet depicted in art holding his own skin with serene courage.
·
St. Rita of Cascia:
Bore a thorn-wound on her forehead from Christ’s crown, emitting a foul odor
yet embraced as a mark of love.
·
St. Padre Pio: Mystic and
stigmatist, whose bleeding wounds and bilocations unsettled even the devout.
·
St. Antony the Great:
Battled demons in desert solitude and lived among tombs to confront death
directly.
·
St. Joseph of
Cupertino: Soared above altars in ecstatic flight, banned from public
Masses for fear of distraction.
·
Sts. Lucian and
Marcian: Former magicians who renounced sorcery, burned their books, and
sang hymns as flames consumed them.
· St. Stanislaus of Kraków: Raised a murdered man (Peter) from the dead to testify against a corrupt king.
These are
not sanitized saints. They are wild, unsettling, radiant. They remind us that
holiness is not polite. It is prophetic. It is strange. It is real.
OCTOBER 31 Friday-All Hollows Eve
2 Corinthians, Chapter 13, Verse 11
Finally, brothers, rejoice. Mend your ways, encourage one another,
agree with one another, live in PEACE,
and the God of love and peace will be
with you.
One way to mend your
ways and bring love and peace to your organizations and relationships is to use
an ideal developed by the late Steven Covey.
Emotional Bank Account[1]
We all know how our
regular bank account works. We make deposits, save up money, and when we need
that money later, we withdraw it. An emotional bank account is an account of
trust instead of money. It’s an account based on how safe you feel with another
person.
Covey identifies six
ways to make deposits (or reduce withdrawals):
1.
Understanding the
Individual. This means
listening intently to what the other person is saying and empathizing with how
they may feel. It’s important to care for others and act with kindness
toward them.
2. Keeping Commitments. How do you feel when someone arrives right on time when you have a meeting? How about when people simply do what they say they will do? You build up an emotional reserve by keeping your commitments.
3.
Clarifying Expectations. We are not mind readers, and yet we
consistently expect others to know what we expect of them. Communicating our
expectations can help create a higher level of trust. When we ask for what we
want, and we get it, we can then trust a little more.
4.
Attending to the Little
Things. Don’t you find
that the little things tend to become the BIG things when they do not receive
our attention? Doing the little things is how we honor and show respect for
others. Small kindnesses, a smile, a little extra effort, a hug, doing
something you didn’t “have” to: these are the things that build trust.
5.
Showing Personal
Integrity. Integrity is the
moral floor upon which trusting relationships are built. When we operate with
sound moral character, it makes it so easy for others to trust us.
6.
Apologizing When We
Make a Withdrawal. We will make
mistakes; it’s part of life. But when you see you have violated a trust,
sincerely apologizing is how we make a deposit to counteract the damage we have
done.
When your trust
level is high, because you’ve made lots of deposits, communication is almost
effortless. You can be yourself, and others understand and appreciate you.
Then, when you make mistakes or offend someone unexpectedly, you draw on that
reserve and the relationship still maintains a solid level of trust.
Conversely, when you are discourteous, disrespect others, interrupt others,
speak sarcastically or ignore others, your emotional bank account becomes
overdrawn because you have jeopardized the trust level. When the trust level is
low, you have to be very careful of what you say; you tend to be more
political. Our most precious relationships (with our spouse, kids, friends and
boss) require constant deposits, because those relationships continue to grow
and change, and with these changes come new expectations. If you have a
teenager at home, you may make several withdrawals in just one day! As your
marriage evolves, your roles and responsibilities may change, and your work and
home lives may change over time because of career changes or kids moving out or
back in. These relationships require constant investment.
To
remind ourselves of His love and to prepare our hearts and souls for the
reception of His body we should get to Mass early enough to say the Prayer of
St. Thomas prior to Mass.
Copilot’s Take
On All Hallows’ Eve, as we stand at the threshold of the feast of All Saints, 2 Corinthians 13:11 offers a timely call to rejoice, mend our ways, and live in peace. This invitation to communal harmony is echoed in Steven Covey’s concept of the Emotional Bank Account—a trust-based metaphor that reminds us relationships thrive on intentional deposits: understanding, integrity, small kindnesses, and sincere apologies. Just as saints cultivated peace through daily acts of mercy, we too are called to invest in our most precious relationships with care and consistency. Arriving early to Mass and praying the Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas can prepare our hearts to receive Christ’s body with humility and love, reinforcing the spiritual deposits we make in both heaven and earth.
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?
For more
information see Catholic Culture's Halloween page.
Also read
from Catholic Culture's library:
·
Halloween:
Celebrate Like a Catholic by Jennifer Gregory Miller
·
Halloween
and All Saints Day
by Father William Saunders
·
Holyween:
Reclaim The Celebration Of All Saints by Fr. Vincent Serpa, O.P.
·
Catholics
Give the Best Parties
by Jeffrey Tucker
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.
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 because during the
night fewer people are found at prayer, which disturbs the ritual. During the
celebration, the words and the external signs of the Eucharistic liturgy are
used, but always in a contrary sense, in order to manifest opposition to God.
There is always a satanic priest officiating who wears blasphemous vestments,
an altar represented by a nude woman, possibly a virgin, on whom very serious
acts of profanity of the Eucharist (usually stolen from a church), are
performed, with words of consecration proclaimed in a contrary sense and an
overturned crucifix. Only members of the satanic sect, who are sworn to
secrecy, may participate. Nonmembers are never permitted to attend unless it is
hoped that, having already been seduced by the perversions and the illusion of
power, they may decide to enter the sect.
In general, the black masses are
celebrated by small groups of ten or at most fifteen of the “faithful.” Once
the ritual is concluded, the woman who functions as the altar is raped in turn
by all the participants: first by the one who exercised the “rites” of the
priest, then by all the others. This woman may have freely accepted that role,
or she may have been led there against her will; and aside from the physical
violence, she often suffers the terrible consequences of the ritual:
[diabolical] possession.
As in the Church, some of the
official rites are required and are tied to particular feast days.
· 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.
· The
second precedes our feast of the presentation of Jesus in the Temple on
February 2. The night before, in fact, the magic spring begins.
· The
summer magic is the third satanic “solemnity” and occurs on the night between
April 30 and May 1. During the year [Satanists] often choose nights when the
new moon is inaugurated, because it is particularly dark.
The officiator of these rites is
usually someone who is consecrated to Satan, and although it is not stated,
this person is also usually possessed by the devil. Often during these rituals,
the Eucharistic hosts are profaned, [having been] stolen from tabernacles or
taken by some of the faithful at Communion during Mass and not consumed.
A Grave Sin
against 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.
Power of Egypt[4]
The power
of Egypt was the worship of demons back thousands of years ago. The occult
still is around today and just as in the Holy Church, some official rites are
required and are tied to particular feast days. 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. The second precedes our feast of the
presentation of Jesus in the Temple on February 2. The night before, in fact,
begins the magic spring. We need not fear but look with love to our Lord.
Perhaps we could attend Mass this day and offer God our prayers and love.
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.
The Triduum of
Death:
The Forgotten
Season of All Hallowtide[6]
For
most people, Halloween is just a fun (or sinister) secular holiday that stands
on its own. But it actually used to be an important part of a short liturgical
season focused on death, Allhallowtide.
All
Saints’ Day has been celebrated on November 1st since the first millennium. It
was sometimes called Hallowmas (Hallow = holy/saint; mas = short for Mass), or
All Hallows. Its origins were practical: With all the great martyrs and saints
of the early Church, there weren’t enough days in the year to honor them all.
All Hallows was a catch-all day.
The
Vigil for this important feast was called All Hallows’ Eve, which got
contracted to Halloween. It was often a day of fasting and praying in
preparation for the great feast on All Hallows, which began in the evening with
a Vigil Mass. There was also the popular belief (not of the Church) that the
“veil” between our world and the spiritual realm of the dead was “thinnest” on
this day.
In
the 13th century, St. Odilo of Cluny popularized a feast for remembering and
praying for all the dead, All Souls Day. While we ask the saints in heaven for
their prayers, we pray for the rest of the faithful departed, in case they are
suffering in purgatory.
This
completed the triduum of death: All Hallows Eve, All Hallows, and All Souls.
These
feasts were so important that, in the mid-15th century, Pope Sixtus IV expanded
the triduum into a full octave, or 8-day observance. This expanded form of
Allhallowtide lasted for centuries until 1955, when it was eliminated by Pope
Pius XII as a part of a greater (pre-Vatican II) liturgical reform.
This
is why Allhallowtide is not normally celebrated today even by traditionalist
Catholics, since the Extraordinary Form of the Mass follows the 1962 Roman
Missal.
Bible in a
Year Day 118 King Saul’s Despair
Fr. Mike reflects on King Saul's despair in the face of trial, and how he seeks
other means of comfort when he feels like God has abandoned him. God never
abandons us, especially in the midst of danger. Fr. Mike invites us to place
our trust in God's promise, instead of resorting to sinful acts. Today's
readings are 1 Samuel 27-28 and Psalm 34.
Fitness Friday:
Recognizing that God the Father created man on Friday
the 6th day I propose in this blog to have an entry that shares on
how to recreate and renew yourself in strength, mind, soul, and heart.
8 Workouts That'll Help You Survive the
Post-Apocalypse[7]
Chainmail
bodysuit season is almost here — make sure your bod is thunderdome-ready!
There are
many apocalyptic scenarios that could spell the end of the world as we know it:
alien invasion, natural disaster, zombie infestation, solar flares, nuclear
war, and the list goes on. There are only so many
things we can do to be prepared for them (stocking up water,
storing supplies, etc.),
but you can get your body in shape for an apocalypse.
Here are the workouts that'll help you survive a post-apocalypse world.
Farmer's
Walk
This
exercise develops endurance in your forearms, shoulders, and traps, all the
muscles that will be engaged when you carry heavy objects (suitcase, bottles of
water, weapons, family members) by your side. You'll find it's also a great way
to improve your posture and grip strength!
Woodchoppers
If you
find yourself living out in the forest, you'll need to be able to chop your own
firewood for heat. Woodchoppers are an excellent exercise to help you develop
the core (abs and obliques) strength to bring down a tree.
Pull-Ups
How can
you escape a horde of zombies? Climb up a fire escape or pull yourself up onto
a nearby roof! To do that, you'll need strength in your forearms, biceps,
shoulders, and back — all of which result from doing pull-ups. A few pull-ups
can save your life in an apocalyptic situation.
Sled Push
You may
find yourself pushing your car a few miles to the nearest abandoned gas
station, especially if you've zombie-proofed your vehicle and don't want to
leave it on the side of the road. Sled pushes are also a great way to develop
leg and back strength, plus crazy endurance.
Bent Over
Rows
If you
find yourself using a bow and arrow to hunt, you'll need sufficient arm,
shoulder, and back strength to draw the bow. Bent over rows give you major pulling power and shred those important muscles. Plus,
they can strengthen your lower back and keep your spinal muscles strong.
Sprints
The best
way to outrun a zombie horde or a band of mutant
killers is to sprint like your life depends on it! Sprint training (on a
treadmill or outdoors) will help to increase both your aerobic and anaerobic
endurance. You'll find it's much easier to escape if you can sprint for more
than a few seconds without running out of breath.
Tire
Flips
If you
find yourself trying to survive after a natural disaster, you may have to comb
through destroyed homes or buildings to find food, water, and supplies. Tire
flips will help you to develop the lifting power that will come in handy when
clearing rubble and lifting heavy building beams.
Squats
Strong
legs can save your life! You'll need leg strength to run, jump, climb, and push
heavy objects. Squats are an amazing exercise that will help you to be prepared
for any apocalyptic situation.
Get in shape, and you have a much better chance of survival!
Daily Devotions
·
Unite
in the work of the Porters of St.
Joseph
by joining them in fasting: Today's Fast: End to Addictions.
·
Tonight, would be a good night to renew
your baptismal vows
·
Religion
in the Home for Preschool: October
·
Litany of the Most Precious Blood
of Jesus
·
Offering to the
sacred heart of Jesus
·
Rosary
NOVEMBER
The Thanksgiving meal is a ritual. Whether we are from
rural or urban backgrounds, we know the harvest time passes and the year draws
to an end. Giving thanks to God is Eucharist, a heavenly banquet and the
foretaste of things to come. We are not worthy receivers of this sacrament
without the haunting knowledge of the poor nutrition for many in our country
and famine in other countries.
Highlights of
November[8]
The month of November is dedicated to the Souls in Purgatory,
whose feast is celebrated on November 2. With the exception of the last two
days, the entire month of November falls during the liturgical season known as Ordinary Time,
which is represented by the liturgical color green. This symbol of hope is
the color of the sprouting seed and arouses in the faithful the hope of reaping
the eternal harvest of heaven, especially the hope of a glorious resurrection.
It is used in the offices and Masses of Ordinary Time. The last portion of the
liturgical year represents the time of our pilgrimage to heaven during which we
hope for reward. The last Sunday, which marks the beginning of Advent, the
liturgical color changes to purple, representing a time of penance.
The national holiday (USA) of Thanksgiving also falls
on the last Thursday of November. The tradition of eating goose as part of the
Martin's Day celebration was kept in Holland even after the Reformation. It was
there that the Pilgrims who sailed to the New World in 1620 became familiar
with this ancient harvest festival. When, after one year in America, they
decided to celebrate a three days' thanksgiving in the autumn of 1621, they
went in search of geese for their feast. We know that they also had deer (a
present from the Indians), lobsters, oysters, and fish. But Edward Winslow, in
his account of the feast, only mentions that "Governor Bradford sent four
men on fowling that so we might after a more special manner rejoice together,
after we had gathered the fruit of our labors." They actually did find
some wild geese, and a number of wild turkeys and ducks as well. The Pilgrim
Fathers, therefore, in serving wild turkeys with the geese, inaugurated one of
the most cherished American traditions: the turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day.
They also drank, according to the ancient European tradition, the first wine of
their wild-grape harvest. Pumpkin pie and cranberries were not part of the
first Thanksgiving dinner in America but were introduced many years afterward.
The second Thanksgiving Day in the New World was held by the Pilgrims two years
later, on July 30, 1623. It was formally proclaimed by the governor as a day of
prayer to thank God for their deliverance from drought and starvation, and for
the safe arrival from Holland of the ship Anne. In 1665 Connecticut proclaimed
a solemn day of thanksgiving to be kept annually on the last Wednesday in
October. Other New England colonies held occasional and local Thanksgivings at
various times. In 1789 the federal Congress authorized and requested President
George Washington to proclaim a day of thanksgiving for the whole nation.
Washington did this in a message setting aside November 26, 1789, as National
Thanksgiving Day. After 1789 the celebration reverted to local and regional
observance for almost a hundred years. There grew, however, a strong desire
among the majority of the people for a national Thanksgiving Day that would
unite all Americans in a festival of gratitude and public acknowledgment for
all the blessings God had conferred upon the nation. It was not until October
3, 1863, that this was accomplished, when President Abraham Lincoln issued, in
the midst of the Civil War, a Thanksgiving Proclamation. In it the last
Thursday of November was set apart for that purpose and made a national
holiday.
Since then, every president has followed Lincoln's
example, and annually proclaims as a "Day of Thanksgiving" the fourth
Thursday in November. Only President Franklin D. Roosevelt changed the date, in
1939, from the fourth to the third Thursday of November (to extend the time of
Christmas sales). This caused so much consternation and protest that in 1941
the traditional date was restored."
November
Travel and Events[9]
Deer Hunting Season Notorious to
some, delectably yummy to others, deer-hunting season begins with a bang --
sorry, Bambi -- come November. That’s because the month is prime deer-mating
season: Male bucks are often so distracted by the urge to mate they may not
detect the sound of Grandpa Earl’s carbine locking and loading off in the
distance. Head to states like Kentucky, New Hampshire and Minnesota for the
HUNT.
Grand Canyon (Arizona)
Take advantage of off-season travel to popular landmarks such
as the Grand Canyon.
the 1.2-million-acre park sees half its summer crowds. Enjoy cooler
temperatures (in the 70s), as well as the deepening colors of aspen, oak and
birch trees that adorn this national treasure.
October
29-November 2, The Day of the Dead
Families decorate the graves of loved ONES THROUGHOUT Mexico
as part of this annual national holiday. A blend of pre-Columbian and Catholic
traditions, Day of the Dead may sound notoriously spooky to outsiders. But to
those who celebrate it, the day offers a way to reflect and share in treasured
memories of loved ones through acts of commemoration, including making altars.
o
MURAL
MARIGOLD PROJECT-Sedona, Arizona
o
October
30 - November 2, 2024, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to
paint their tributes on our 26-foot-long remembrance wall. This is an
opportunity to remember your loved ones & create something lasting with
others. Paints and brushes will be provided on-site with the murals from the
previous years on display for your viewing and inspiration. Mural painting will
continue daily on the Calle Independence from 11 a.m. - 5 p.m. until Saturday,
November 2nd, 2024. inspiration.
November
1st & 2nd Breeders' Cup
Wondering where to travel in November? Start by taking in two
days of action-packed thoroughbred horse races. The annual Breeders’ Cup World
Championship kicks off this month at Keeneland racetrack, Lexington, Kentucky.
Better grab your tickets fast, though; attendance is usually much higher than
other stake races in North America.
o
Breeders’
Cup Watch Party
o The Breeders’ Cup
is coming to K O’Donnell’s Sports Bar & Grill this Saturday! Do yourself a
favor, and instead of wasting time on google trying to find the best place to
watch the Breeder’s Cup in Scottsdale, head over to K O’Donnells and enjoy Arizona’s
best off-track betting bar. We offer an experience like no other. We
have 12 TV’s on-site that are dedicated to OTB along with our other 70+ TVs
that will be watching the action. We open early on Saturday morning for
Breeders Cup fans to come in and enjoy the east coast races and some brunch.
o November 3 NYC Marathon Lace up your
sneakers for the New York City Marathon. More than 50,000 people compete in the
world’s largest marathon. Cheer on the participants as they race through the
city’s five boroughs and head to the finish line if you’re not competing in the
26-mile run.
o November 2-10 San
Diego Bay Wine + Food Festival Notoriously passionate
wine and food lovers descend on Southern California each November for the
region’s largest festival of its kind. How notorious are we talking? Well,
let’s just say any festival that lures some of the best national chefs, local
culinary stars, and celebrated winemakers and brewmasters means serious
gastronomic pleasure is in order
o November 8-January 5 The Rockettes Christmas Let’s
go girls! Those sky-high kicks, those naughty smiles -- oh, it certainly
wouldn’t be a notoriously fun November without the Rockettes. During the
holiday season, the legendary dance company kicks it into high gear with five
shows a day, seven days a week. See the grand show unfold in the Radio City
Christmas Spectacular, presented at Radio City Music Hall.
Iceman’s Calendar
·
November 1st MASS Feast of All Saints
·
November 2nd MASS Feast of All Souls
·
Twenty First Sunday after Pentecost
·
November 3rd Twenty-fourth Sunday after Pentecost
·
November 5th MASS pray for God’s intervention
·
November 6th First Wednesday
·
Twenty second Sunday after Pentecost
·
November 10th Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost
·
Monday-November 11th
St. Martin
o
Veteran’s
Day
·
Tuesday-November 12th Indian Summer
·
Friday-November 15th Full Beaver Moon
·
Twenty third Sunday after Pentecost
·
November 17th Twenty-Sixth
Sunday after Pentecost-Note the Mass for the 5th Sunday of Epiphany will be
said.
·
November 21st Feast of the Presentation of Virgin Mary
·
November 24th Twenty-Seventh
Sunday after Pentecost-Note the Mass for the 6th Sunday of Epiphany will be
said.
·
November 25th Feast of Saint Catherine of Alexandria
·
November 28th Thanksgiving Day
·
November 30th Feast of
Saint Andrew the Apostle
[3]Amorth,
Fr. Gabriele. An Exorcist Explains the Demonic: The Antics of Satan and His
Army of Fallen Angels
[4]Amorth,
Fr. Gabriele. An Exorcist Explains the Demonic: The Antics of Satan and His
Army of Fallen Angels
[5]
Schouppe S.J., Rev. Fr. F. X.. Purgatory Explained (with Supplemental Reading:
What Will Hell Be Like?)
If All Saints’ Day (November 1) falls on a Saturday, the liturgical and pastoral response depends on your tradition and local parish practice. Here’s how it’s typically handled across different contexts:
🕊️ Roman Catholic Practice
Obligation Status (U.S.):
In the United States, All Saints’ Day is not a holy day of obligation if it falls on a Saturday or Monday. This is a pastoral accommodation to avoid back-to-back obligations with Sunday Mass.Mass Options:
- Saturday Morning: Parishes may offer a morning Mass for All Saints’ Day.
- Saturday Evening Vigil: This typically counts as the Sunday vigil, not All Saints. So if you attend Saturday evening Mass, it fulfills your Sunday obligation, not All Saints.
Devotional Suggestions:
- Attend a Saturday morning Mass if available.
- Pray the Litany of the Saints or visit a cemetery to honor the communion of saints.
- Light a candle at home or create a small altar with saint icons or relics.
🌿 Anglican & Protestant Traditions
Sunday Transfer:
Many churches transfer the celebration of All Saints’ to Sunday, November 2, especially if it aligns with All Souls’ observances or a broader “All Saints-tide.”Communal Focus:
- Readings and hymns may be adapted to honor the saints and the faithful departed.
- Some communities hold special services, remembrances, or necrologies.
🌍 Symbolic & Editorial Notes for Hospitality Guides
Given your devotional calendar and editorial style, Richard, here’s how you might ritualize this moment:
Saturday Morning Act:
“Leafing the World Behind” begins with a quiet candlelit breakfast, honoring the saints who lived hidden lives of mercy. Read one saint’s biography aloud.Symbolic Cue:
Use a white leaf or gold thread to mark the transition from earthly toil to heavenly joy.Communal Prompt:
Invite companions to name a saint who shaped their journey. Share stories, icons, or prayers.
Would you like help formatting this into a blog-ready entry for your Michaelmas devotional? I can embed links to saint resources, liturgical texts, and symbolic cues.
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