Friday, October 31, 3 p.m., Emmanuel Episcopal Church
— from Fr. Berto Gándara —
Friday, October 31starting at 3 p.m., children from one to a hundred are welcome to walk the labyrinth at Emmanuel Episcopal Church on Main Street to discover the Giant Pumpkin at the center and receive a treat.
At Emmanuel we celebrate the night before All Saints’ Day, All Hallows’ Eve, or as it is more commonly known, Halloween. This celebration has its roots in the Celtic celebration of Samhain which marked the beginning of winter and the time of the gathering of the harvest as people prepared for the harshness of winter.
As winter approaches we are reminded of our fragility and mortality, we face our fears that are represented in the creeping darkness of winter. All Hallows’ Eve is an opportunity to confront these fears and to trust that evil and darkness are being cast away by light and love (Mt 8:26, 1Jn 4:18, Jn 1:5).
On the following day we will then celebrate the feast of All Saints when we honor the innumerable men and woman who have allowed the light and love of God to transform their lives into holiness and wholeness.
I especially like the ways these events are explained: enlightening!