All Saints, All Souls and Halloween?

“Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be Thy name…” we pray every day.  “Hallow,” there’s that word we’re hearing a lot about at this time of year. And it means “holy.”  So what does “Halloween” mean, and where does it come from?

The origins of Halloween are very Christian and very American.  Although it’s true that the ancient Celts of Ireland and Britain celebrated a minor festival at this time of year which commemorated the end of summer and the beginning of the darkness of winter, that feast wasn’t on a specific day but tied to the position of the sun.  Halloween specifically falls on the last day of October because it’s the Evening before the Feast of All Saints, or “All Hallows,” which falls on November 1.  So it’s All Hallow’s Eve, contracted to Hallowe’en. [Read More…]

All Hallows’ Eve

Halloween or All Hallows’ Eve is not a liturgical feast on the Catholic calendar, but the celebration has deep ties to the Liturgical Year. These three consecutive days ”” Halloween, All Saints Day and All Souls Day ”” bring to mind the Communion of Believers. On earth we are called the “Church Militant,” because we are striving to get to heaven.  We pray for the “Church Suffering,” the souls in Purgatory, especially on All Souls Day (and even the entire month of November). We also honor and ask the intercession of the “Church Triumphant,” those souls, whether canonized or uncanonized, who are in Heaven.

In England, saints or holy people are called “hallowed,” hence All Saints Day was  “All Hallow’s Day.” The evening before the feast became popularly known as “All Hallows’ Eve” or even shorter, “Hallowe’en.”

Since Vatican II, some liturgical observances have been altered, one being that the practice of a “fast prior to a feast” is no longer required. Originally, the days preceding great solemnities, like Christmas and All Saints Day, had a penitential nature, requiring abstinence from meat, fasting and prayer. Although no longer required by the Church, it is still a devout practice to prepare oneself spiritually before great feast days.

Since it occurred the night before All Saints Day, Halloween was a vigil and required fasting. Many recipes and traditions were attached to this evening, including pancakes, boxty bread, barmbrack (Irish fruit bread with hidden charms), colcannon (a combination of cabbage and boiled potatoes). The night was also known as “Nutcracker Night” in England, where the family gathered around the hearth to enjoy cider and nuts and apples.

Halloween is the preparation for the two upcoming feasts of All Saints Day and All Souls Day. Although neither demons nor witchcraft have a place in a Catholic celebration, some macabre elements can be incorporated into Halloween. Skulls are often used in Catholic art as a “memento mori” or “reminder of death,” since it is good to remind ourselves of our impending death and the Poor Souls in Purgatory. But, ultimately, everything points to the glory of Heaven and the saints surrounding the throne of God.

Pope St, John Paul II

Wednesday, October 22, 2014 is the first time that the Church throughout the world will celebrate the Feast Day of Pope St. John Paul II.

Pope St. John Paul II, also known as Saint John Paul the Great, was Pope from October 16, 1978 until his death on April 2, 2005.  He was the second longest-serving pope in modern history after Pope Pius IX, who served for nearly 32 years from 1846 to 1878. Born in Poland, John Paul II is credited as helping to end Communist rule in his native Poland and eventually all of Europe.  John Paul II significantly improved the Catholic Church’s relations with Judaism, Islam, the Eastern Orthodox Church, and the Anglican Communion.

One of the most traveled world leaders in history, John Paul II visited 129 countries during his pontificate. As part of his special emphasis on the universal call to holiness, he beatified 1,340 people and canonized 483 saints, more than the combined tally of his predecessors during the preceding five centuries. By the time of his death, he had named most of the College of Cardinals, consecrated or co-consecrated a large number of the world’s bishops, and ordained many priests.

John Paul II’s cause for canonization commenced a month after his death, due to Pope Benedict XVI, his successor and close collaborator, having waived the traditional five-year waiting period.  Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed him Venerable on December 19, 2009 and Blessed on May 1, 2011 after the Congregation for the Causes of Saints attributed a miracle to him, the healing of a French nun from Parkinson’s disease. A second miracle, the healing of a Costa Rican woman from a brain aneurysm, was approved on July 2, 2013 and confirmed by Pope Francis two days later. John Paul II was canonized on April 27, 2014, alongside Pope John XXIII.  Like John XXIII, his feast day is not celebrated on the date of his death, but on the anniversary of his Papal election, October 22, 1978.  Last month, on Thursday, September 11, 2014, Pope Francis added his optional memorial to the worldwide General Roman Calendar of saints’ feast days, in response to requests from around the world.

The Orans Posture

The Latin word “orans” is translated as “one who is praying.” The “orans posture” is praying while lifting up one’s hands. This posture of prayer has a Scriptural basis in First Timothy: “I desire, then, that in every place the men should pray, lifting up holy hands without anger or argument.” (1Tim. 2:8).

The orans posture was common in early Christianity and can be seen in early Christian art. Several of the early Church Fathers saw it as “the outline of the cross.”

The General Instruction of the Roman Missal (the “rubrics,” or rules for the celebration of the Mass) references the orans posture with the phrase “with hands extended.” It is instructed to be done twenty-eight times and is used as a direction only for the priest; the laity are never directed to pray “with hands extended.”

Among the laity this practice reemerged with the charismatic renewal in the 1970’s. Used first in private prayer, it has worked its way into the Liturgy. It is a legitimate gesture to use when praying, as history shows; however, its use as a private gesture in the Mass can conflict with the system of signs which the rubrics are intended to protect.

There are some priests that instruct the faithful to assume the orans posture at Mass during the recitation of the Our Father. This is incorrect. The Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy states that: “no person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.” If a handful of people are innocently praying in the orans posture during the Our Father, most priests are not going to go out of his way to embarrass them or cause them to feel uncomfortable. Their action is probably not a distraction to anyone around them, but it is not part of the rubrics of the Mass.