“Beloved, we are God’s children now; what we will be has not yet been revealed.” 1 John 3:2a
Dear Friends in Christ,
This week marks one of the holiest times in our Christian calendar. Yes, I’m talking about Halloween! Perhaps you celebrated the occasion with spooky costumes, candy galore, or a bonfire with friends. We should celebrate! Halloween kicks off three special days in our tradition from October 31 to November 2.
Linguistically, Halloween derives from, All Hallow’s Eve, All Holy’s Eve, or the Eve of All Saints’. Saint, which comes from the Latin Sanctus, is just another word for holy. During these three days we celebrate all the holy people, the children of God who have come before us. It is a time of honoring our departed loved ones and reminding ourselves of the imprint they have left upon our lives.
Marking this time as sacred and set apart is an ancient tradition, that even predates Christianity. For our siblings of the past, the season of autumn, of the harvest, came to an end and the season of winter began; darkness, hibernating, and slowing down. This shift in seasons signals a movement from life to death, and eventually back to life again. For centuries, the children of God who have come before us, recognized that at this transition lies a sacred threshold. During this threshold, the veil is thin between this life and the life to come.
We as people of faith, as followers of Jesus the Christ, know we have nothing to fear in death; although we may doubt it from time to time which is totally human. The veil is thin right now and our departed loved ones are spiritually closer. Their presence is not meant to frighten us but to empower us. We even wear spooky costumes for this occasion to make fun of our very human fear of death. We scare away our own doubts and insecurities with humor and frivolity.
So, upon this sacred threshold while the veil is pulled back, and we can see slightly into the life beyond, ask yourself: Who are you celebrating? Who are you remembering? Who are you honoring? Are you celebrating those larger-than-life figures of our tradition such as: Desmond Tutu, Frances Perkins, Francis of Assisi, or Mary Magdalene? Or are you celebrating the ancestors; your own loved ones who dwell eternally with God? Whoever you are honoring during this sacred threshold, I invite you to take a deep breath, pull back the veil, and bask in the glorious light of all the saints.
God’s peace and love,
Sarah+
The Rev. Sarah A. Dunn
Associate Rector