Halloween, short for “All Hallows Eve,” originally comes from the vigil celebration remembering the holy souls and holy saints. For many, however, Halloween is anything but holy. A cursory glance at the latest movies released in theatres just this week shows a darker side. “Ouija: Origin of Evil,” delves into séances and demonic possession; The film, “31” tells the tale of kidnapped carnival workers who must fight their way through a sadistic compound, fending off ghoulish killer clowns; on the lighter side (and what wouldn’t be lighter!), is a Tyler Perry comedy where an elderly neighborhood heroine spends Halloween night protecting the neighborhood from ghosts, ghouls and zombies. It topped the box office this past weekend, taking in over $27.6 million.
It is no joke, and even a little scary, that millions of dollars and thousands of hours will be spent this week paying homage to Hollywood’s macabre parodies and sensational portrayal of evil. The spiritual world is no fiction, and the demons that the entertainment world delights in are no laughing matter.
What the world really needs is not Ouija boards, zombies and sadistic clowns, but saints. Nothing could be more necessary today than the heroic virtue and courageous example of faith that countless men and women have modeled for us down through the centuries. This Halloween what we really need is to celebrate well the holy souls and saints that remind us, in every age, of what we are all created to be: hallowed.
