Dear Friends of Carmel Mission,
At this time of year we celebrate two important days in our liturgical calendar: All Saints and All Souls.
Our secular world has laid claim to Halloween, dressing it up in its own colors of black and orange. It is a huge Hallmark holiday, and a day for the makers of candy bars to rejoice as they witness a phenomenal increase in the sale of their products. Children of all ages dress up in costumes representing witches and wizards, ghosts and goblins. It is the time when we are confronted with the ultimate question: Trick or Treat?
As we Christians know, Halloween means the Vigil of All Hallows, the Vigil of All Saints. At our school mass, our students dress up in costumes to represent their favorite saint , and they remind us of the life and significance of their saint. They always do such an excellent job under the guidance of their teachers.
All Saints Day is a reminder to us that God has called each of us to become a saint through our baptism in Jesus Christ.
Our names may never appear in the Church’s book of Canonized Saints. but if we sincerely try to follow Jesus in our life, we will find ourselves among the Saints in heaven.
All Saints Day is a joyful celebration of the fact that our destiny is to be with the God who created us in His image and likeness. Each time we do something to make our world a better place, we move closer to claiming our place among the Saints.
God does not try to trick us, but He does give us the ultimate treat.
Blessings,
Fr. Paul
Please take a moment to read our Carmel Mission Weekly Bulletin.