TAKING BACK HALLOWEEN – What does it mean for us to be “Holy”?

By Juan Rodriguez 

Another word we use to describe the life of a Saint, an object, or a place, blessed by God, or God working through the hands of a Priest – this word “Holy”, simply means “Set Apart”.
Think about it: From the time of your conception, God gave you life – He already “set you apart” for a purpose, a vocation. Just look up the meaning of your name. It’s not a coincidence you have this name or this life.

Think about it: At your Baptism, when your parent(s) and godparent(s) gave you over to the Priest or Deacon for this special sacrament, you were “Set Apart”, given the stamp of “Holiness”. We are constantly reminding ourselves of this call to “Holiness”. How does God do it? Simple - God can use our experiences of taking Holy Water and blessing ourselves with the Sign of the Cross, or when we go to see a Baptism He reminds us of what He is doing to the person, what He can do in you, and what He is already doing in you. He can even use anything that is within our experience or our possession, drawing our hearts to “Holiness” – Himself.

When something is made “Holy”, God is showing us that this person, object or place is dedicated for Religious use. In other words, “Religious Use” can be seen or thought of as “leading you to God”, having a personal and intimate encounter with God.

We who are made “Holy” by God have the opportunity and the desire to lead a life destined to our Maker. Think of it like a game for a child who tries to fit shapes into spaces – something has to fit in; a square shape cannot easily fit in a circular space, nor would it be able to fill it completely if the square shape was small. Our being is made to allow God to fit in, whole and entire. Anything else that is not from God or of God is unsuitable for our life.

When you consider a person called to live a “Holy” life, your actions and words express a deep respect and awe – the same we would have with God, if our encounter with Him is genuine. So when I look at the Saints, I should see God through the Saint. When we look at each other, we should see God through one another – otherwise, “what would we know of the word ‘Holy’”, if we don’t know God.

HALLOWEEN drives to the heart of our Christian Life the vocation of being “Holy”. To belong exclusively to God, and to Magnify His Glory in our Life. That’s why we honor the Saints. That’s why we call them Saints. That’s why the Church named this feast HALLOWEEN – It’s time we TAKE BACK HALLOWEEN.

Stay Tuned for our Next Post on the word “Hallow”, on DHT EXTENSION