The First Commandment reads: “I, the Lord, am your God…You shall not have other gods besides me. You shall not carve idols for yourselves in the shape of anything in the sky above or on the earth below…”(Ex. 20:2). Some Christians today think that this commandment forbids us to use statues and images (pictures) in our devotion. But there are a few important differences. The First Commandment forbids making an image of GOD Himself. No one can pretend to make an image of God who is transcendent and incomprehensible. He is totally different from any object in nature. Our Christian statues and images are of the Incarnation of God, beginning with Christ Himself, and then, secondarily, of the good men and women who lead us to God, beginning with Mary, the Mother of Jesus and his first Disciple, and continuing with saints through the ages. And, most importantly, these statues and images do not take the place of God, but lead us to Him through making more present to us the men and women who are so close to God. God leads us to him through the human imagination, and we venerate the memory of Mary and the saints, whose sole desire is to draw us into deeper relationship with the One God. We sit at their feet. We gaze into their faces. We are drawn into the light of holiness. - - - Fr. Jim

"Halloween" is a contraction of "All Hallows Eve," and it designates the vigil (the night before) of All Hallows Day, more commonly known today as All Saints Day. ("Hallow," as a noun, is an old English word for saint.) All Saints Day, November 1, is a Holy Day of Obligation, and both the feast and the vigil have been celebrated since the early eighth century, when they were instituted by Pope Gregory III in Rome. Some of the traditions pre-date Christianity by many centuries. Celtic (Irish) practices included lighting bonfires, carving turnips (and, in America, pumpkins), and going from house to house, collecting treats, as carolers do at Christmas. But the "occult" aspects of Halloween—ghosts and demons—also actually have their roots in Catholic belief. Catholic Christians believed that, at certain times of the year (Christmas is another), the veil separating earth from Purgatory, Heaven, and even Hell becomes more thin, and the souls in Purgatory (ghosts) and demons can be more readily seen. Thus the tradition of Halloween costumes owes as much, if not more, to Christian belief as to Celtic tradition. As parents, if we are concerned about frightening our children, we can play dress-up as saints (or other crazy characters) and celebrate the Fall harvest time as well – with hot apple cider and pumpkin pie! Theologically, we do celebrate the thin veil that separates the dead from the living – all are part of the Communion of Saints. This is nothing to be afraid of, because between us “there is an abundant exchange of all good things” (CCC 1475). - - - Fr. Jim

At the Catechetical Congress last Saturday, our speaker said that most adults (“grown-ups”) can point to 4 or 5 adults that made an impact on them in their formative years. Often enough, one of those persons is their teacher of religion. I don’t even remember his name or what he said exactly, but I remember my junior-high R.E. teacher at St. Mary’s Church in Longview, Texas, where I grew up. He was a lay man, a volunteer, who wasn’t really involved in the parish in any other way except teaching us hoodlums.  He would give a short lesson and then we would discuss it as a class. No books, no papers, no films. I was a typical adolescent – I would come to class sometimes lonely, often confused, usually hurt by someone, maybe ecstatic and excited, and always vulnerable. Every high was really high and every low was really low. But this man was gentle and clear about the love of his faith. That really impressed me.  If you think about it, the R.E. class is the only formal place in a young person’s week where they are free to ask questions of faith, to hear stories of God’s love for us, to pray and learn to pray, to be dis-engaged from a world that is so electronic and manufactured. “Love, then, consists in this: not that we have loved God, but that he has loved us.” (1 Jn. 4:10) Adolescence is a delicate ride through some bumpy storms. It is so nice to have a guide who can help direct our path. - - - Fr. Jim