Editorial

All Hallows’ Eve and the call to holiness

All Christians in any state or walk of life are called to the fullness of Christian life and to the perfection of charity. All are called to holiness. (Catechism of the Catholic Church, #2013).

The publication date for this issue of The Criterion is Oct. 31, All Hallows’ Eve (Halloween), the day before All Saints Day. Traditionally, this is the time when we imagine that all manner of ghosts, goblins and evil spirits have been let loose upon the Earth to frighten little children and unsettle the faint of heart.

Of course, we Christians dismiss these fanciful ghosts and goblins as creatures of our collective imaginations whose primary purpose is to sell candy, promote bad movies and distribute Halloween paraphernalia. We acknowledge that evil spirits do exist, but we believe that they are much more subtle than the creatures portrayed in popular media.

For example, we know that the devil does not have horns or a forked tail. Instead, we believe that he presents himself to us in much more attractive ways precisely to persuade us that he’s no threat to us or to the people and things we love. True evil rarely presents itself as horrifying. It is much more likely to try to persuade us that it is beautiful.

The Solemnity of All Saints, which we will celebrate tomorrow, Nov. 1, reminds us that everyone of us is called to be holy and to achieve our full potential as women and men created in the image and likeness of God. All Hallows’ Eve, on the other hand, delights in our imperfections, our unholiness, and our often gleeful participation in evil—the absence or privation of what is good.

Saints are not celebrities who delight in popularity and prestige. They are often the unseen heroes of daily life whose holiness takes many different forms—all of them humble and selfless. They are lights of hope because they point us to Jesus Christ, the true light, the sun that has risen above all the shadows of history.

The late Pope Francis liked to refer to “next door saints” (often our grandmothers, co-workers or neighbors). He urged us to imitate their piety, simplicity and commitment to serving others.

On Halloween, we enjoy wearing masks and costumes, hiding behind the often outrageous characters who people our imaginations. Holiness, on the other hand, is transparent and accountable. It shines brightly like the rising sun illuminating the truth and radiating light and life to all.

The Second Vatican Council emphasized “the universal call to holiness” and urged every baptized person to accept his or her call to become a saint. According to the “Dogmatic Constitution on the Church” (“Lumen Gentium”):

Therefore in the Church, everyone whether belonging to the hierarchy, or being cared for by it, is called to holiness, according to the saying of the Apostle: “For this is the will of God, your sanctification” (I Thes. 4:3;

df. Eph. 1:4). However, this holiness of the Church is unceasingly manifested, and must be manifested, in the fruits of grace which the Spirit produces in the faithful; it is expressed in many ways in individuals, who in their walk of life, tend toward the perfection of charity, thus causing the edification of others; in a very special way this (holiness) appears in the practice of the counsels, customarily called “evangelical.” This practice of the counsels, under the impulsion of the Holy Spirit, undertaken by many Christians, either privately or in a Church-approved condition or state of life, gives and must give in the world an outstanding witness and example of this same holiness. (#39)

The “evangelical counsels” of poverty, chastity and obedience are signs of holiness. They outwardly represent the interior disposition to live as witnesses to our Lord Jesus Christ. The communion of saints, which includes all the holy people living and deceased whose lives reflect the light of Christ, is available to everyone. Admission into the communion of saints is guaranteed by our baptism, but we cannot qualify as saintly women and men unless, by the grace of Christ, we live exemplary lives of holiness as missionary disciples.

On this All Hallows’ Eve, let’s enjoy the parties, costumes and mischief, but let’s not forget that we have a higher calling. We are invited to join with all the holy people who have gone before us—and all those who live alongside us—as we strive to become “next door saints” who live the Gospel fully.

—Daniel Conway