Why do Canadians celebrate Halloween? "Halloween" comes from the Scottish "Hallowed Evening" i.e. The eve of celebrating saints and remembering the dead in prayers. The Lord's Prayer to the Father starts with "Our Father Who Art in heaven - Hallowed be Thy Name..." The Father is the Father of all of us who gives life to every person and loves all humans...On this day, we ask the saints to intercede for every person on earth, and ask God to forgive all, and have his abundant mercy on all the departed souls.
Halloween is linked to a Christian tradition. In my opinion, it is good to celebrate a day of fun with masks and take young children to go trick or treat in the neighborhood as it generates innocent joy in their hearts and ours. But to connect it to the historical meaning beyond Dracula and Halloween, click this link - It is about defending Europe against the Muslim Turks who had just invaded Constantinople in 1453 (a theme that preoccupies Christians today with radical Islam) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRbubeF8w7M
However, Europe today is no longer as Christian as it was then in 1453. At least since the Protestant Reformation of the 16th century, the idea of individualism crept into the West. The Enlightenment followed the doubts of philosophers into criticism of everything including the existence of God. And today, in the minds of many people here God does not exist, nor does Christianity make sense...Society descended into relativism. Everyone may worship or do what he thinks. The Ministry of Education in Ontario Canada has imposed a curriculum of sexual education that challenges Christian moral tradition in all public schools. Most recently, Catholic bishops gathered in the Synod on the family in Rome failed to show a clear direction for the Church on divorced and remarried Catholics and homosexuals as conservatives and liberals slammed each others ideas. In this atmosphere, does it make sense to call God "Our Father who Art in Heaven"?
I wrote about today's two anti-Christian forces: Radical Islam, and Atheist Materialism in the post "Who Will Triumph" here.
This alone calls for Pope Francis to seek a form of Christian unity with the Eastern Orthodox Churches. Probably such a union would moderate the tensions of individualism rampant in the West and help liberate Christians in the Middle East from persecution.
"Be moderate in everything except in love" Saint Augustine!
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