Dear Parishioners,

As Halloween approaches we can often be caught up in the supernatural. For the whole month, we are inundated with scary stories across just about all forms of media. There is no problem with dressing up as ghosts and witches or watching the occasional scary movie, especially if it is just for play. However, there is a real danger of forgetting that God is in control of all things and that He is greater than the evil spirits.

The war between good and evil is not a battle of equals. God created everything that exists, even the Devil. If this were not true, then the difference between Good and Evil would be one of preference, not a moral choice. While God created all things, He allows His creation a certain level of freedom. So, the Devil of his own free will chooses to turn against God. He uses everything that God gave him, all of his intelligence and power, to work against the rest of God’s divine plan. God does not need to tolerate this rebellion against His will. He could end the Devil at any moment. However, He chooses not to for reasons that are beyond us.

That is why sacraments and sacramentals will always win out in confrontations with evil. A good confession really does forgive sins. At Mass, Christ really does become present in the Blessed Sacrament. Holy water and holy objects really do lessen demonic influence. Even by talking about this topic, I am giving the Devil too much credit since he is completely restricted in his activity by God. If one is living out the life of Church through frequent communion and confessions, then there is almost no chance that this will even be an influence.

Yet, so many films portray evil as somehow being greater than God. In order to make stakes higher, they portray evil as being an unstoppable force in which even the innocent are not spared. Films like these can make the viewer feel uneasy and vulnerable. Yet, if we look at scripture, Our Lord constantly tells us, “Be not afraid.” Many times, Jesus commands the demons and they obey because they have no choice. They are completely under His power and if we stand with Him, we have nothing to fear.

I hope you all have fun this Halloween – God bless!

Fr. Carter