Very recently in the office, organizers invited children to assemble for a so-called "halloween trick or treat" celebration (name of event is being discouraged in our ministry of Deliverance). I'm glad to notice that some children were wearing "non-scary", wholesome costumes. Hooray for their parents. That is exactly the essence of Nov.1 All Saints' Day - to teach children the spirituality of Saints and inspire them to walk their path to holiness.
STOP:
1. teaching children to think of the devil, darkness and death every time All Saints' Day approaches;
2. scaring children as this will have a lasting effect on them. "Just for fun" is considered a diabolic excuse in the ministry of Healing and Deliverance. Playing with the world of evil and darkness is a "culture of death" and this is NEVER fun;
3. playing with the dead (or playing dead / playing with death); the spirituality of death has deeper and holy meaning for true Christians. This is a time only God sets, thus, this is a holy event of ones life on earth, a holy separation of body and soul, and a holy union of ones spirit to the "Spirit of the Divine." Dead corpse are holy. That's why the Church has its own solemn funeral rites (from the time of death, preparation of body, funeral vigil at wake, up to the actual burial of the body or the Rite of Committal). Cemeteries where they lie are holy place (holy resting place of the dead). So, STOP teaching children that the dead are scary. Never teach the young minds of children that our departed loves-one are now scary zombies or that they have become ghost roaming on earth, scaring people especially on Nov.1. Our departed relatives have not grown into monsters nor they have become witches.
PARENTS AS THEIR CHILDREN'S EVANGELIZERS:
1. Go and teach children the lives of Saints. Inspire them to live the Saints' spirituality. Allow them to choose their own favorite Saint/s;
2. Make "holiness" the top of their mind. The subject "Holiness" is never too early for children. Let it be a constant topic among children. Holy children produce holy adults. Holy adults produce holy famillies. Holy familes produce holy children from whom they are certain to produce holy priests and holy nuns. These holy priests and nuns will add more to the army of saints of God in heaven;
3. Teach children the true meaning of death in the context of Christianity (Catechism of the Catholic Church 1005 - 1019);
4. Teach them the spirituality and meaning of remembering and praying for the dead. And this has something to do with Holiness or Sanctity (including the Church's teachings on the faith we profess - the Communion of Saints) (CCC 2012 - 2029);
5. Teach them God's gift of Indulgences (attached to praying for souls and visiting a cemetery) given through the Church;
6. Teach them that "death" is holy. That death and darkness have already been defeated by Christ through His death and resurrection; That every baptized children of God has already died and risen through Christ. (CCC 1212 - 1284);
7. Teach all parents and the entire family of the value of Family Prayer for healing, for deliverance from evil, and for the eternal repose of all souls in purgatory. "Through the grace of the sacrament f Marriage, parents receive the responsibility and privilege of evangelizing their children." - CCC 2225 / CCC 2221 - 2233.
EVANGELIZED PARENTS ARE THE BEST EVANGELIZERS OF FAMILIES & CHILDREN.
Saint Benedict, pray for us.
All Carmelite Saints, pray for us.
All Holy Saints and angels of God, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, have mercy on us.
May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
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