{"id":182990,"date":"2024-10-28T08:00:39","date_gmt":"2024-10-28T07:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/staging.fundacioncarf.org\/halloween-brujas-algo-mucho-mejor\/"},"modified":"2025-10-23T12:57:06","modified_gmt":"2025-10-23T10:57:06","slug":"31-octubre-halloween-brujas-algo-mucho-mejor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fundacioncarf.org\/en\/31-octubre-halloween-brujas-algo-mucho-mejor\/","title":{"rendered":"Halloween! Witches? Something much better"},"content":{"rendered":"

On All Saints' Day we rejoice and treat those who have died in God's grace and are already in heaven. On All Souls' Day we pray for those who are still in purgatory, so that, purified as soon as possible, they may enjoy heavenly glory. And on Halloween<\/a> we do not celebrate anything. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Halloween, celebrations to reflect on<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Both celebrations invite us to think about the mystery of death that Jesus himself wanted to take on so that we could overcome it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It should also make us reflect on the final destiny of our lives:\u00a0achieve the ultimate happiness for which you have made us (heaven)<\/strong>the real failure of hell, or the 'repechage' of the purgatory<\/a> once properly purified. There is no room for witches or consumerist celebrations such as Halloween, imported from the United States. We celebrate life, not death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"dia-de-todos-los-santos-halloween-difuntos\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Communion of Saints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

And, at the heart of this celebration, there is the faith in the communion of saints<\/a> which we confess at the end of the Creed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Since all believers form one body, the good of one is communicated to the others....\u00a0It is therefore necessary to believe that there is a communion of goods in the Church.<\/strong>. But the most important member is Christ<\/a>since He is the head....<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thus, the good of Christ is communicated to all the members, and this communication is made through the sacraments of the Church\" (St. Thomas<\/a>symb. 10) (Catechism, 947).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are never alone, Jesus Christ and all our brothers and sisters in faith accompany and support us.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the early Jerusalem community, the disciples persevered in the apostles' teaching, communion<\/a>the breaking of bread and the prayers (Acts 2:42).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Communion in the faith: The faith of the faithful is the faith of the Church received from the Apostles, a treasure of life that is enriched when it is shared (Catechism, 949).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The multitude of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and no one considered what he possessed as his own, but they shared all things (Acts 4:32).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Pintura
The Unbelief of St. Thomas\" (c. 1601-1602) by Caravaggio, a masterpiece that captures the biblical moment of doubt.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Charity in the mystical body of Christ<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Communion of charity<\/strong>In the \"communion of saints\". none of us lives to himself, any more than any of us dies to himself.<\/strong> (Rm 14:7).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If one member suffers, all the others suffer with him. If one member is honored, all the others share in his joy. Now ye are the body of Christ, and the members thereof every man severally (1 Cor. 12:26-27).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The least of our acts done in charity has repercussions for the benefit of all, in this solidarity among all men, living or dead, which is founded on the communion of saints.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"There is a communion of life among us who believe in Christ and have been incorporated into Him through the Baptism<\/a>. The relationship between Jesus and the Father is the model of this fire of love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And the \"communion of saints\" is one big family. All of us are family, a family where we all try to help and support each other\".\u00a0Catechesis of Pope Francis.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intercession of the saints<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Let us also count on the intercession of the saints. \"Because those in heaven are more intimately united with Christ, they consolidate the whole Church more firmly in holiness... they do not cease to intercede for us before the Father.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They present, through the one Mediator between God and man, Christ Jesus, the merits they have acquired on earth... Their fraternal solicitude is thus of great help to our weakness\" (Vatican II, Lumen gentium 49).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some saints, near the time of their death, were aware of the great good they could continue to do from Heaven: \"Do not weep, I will be more useful to you after my death and I will help you more effectively than during my life\" (St. Dominic of Guzman, dying, to his brothers, cf. Jordan of Saxony, lib 43).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"I will spend my heaven doing good on earth\" (St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, verba) (cf. Catechism 956).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let us especially invoke Mary, Mother of the Lord and mirror of all holiness. May she, the all holy one, make us faithful disciples of her son Jesus Christ, and may she take the deceased who are in purgatory to Heaven as soon as possible. Amen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Where is there room for a celebration of death and not of life, of witches? No doubt in our lives, Halloween, or whatever you want to call it in every latitude, makes little sense. We are of saints and of praying for our deceased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n

Mr. Francisco Varo Pineda<\/strong>
Director of Research at the University of Navarra.
Faculty of Theology. Professor of Sacred Scripture.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Table of Contents<\/h4>