October 31: The Vigil of All Saints, The Protestant Revolution, and the Origins of Halloween

About this sermon

How should Catholics approach Halloween? This sermon examines October 31 through three observances: the traditional Vigil of All Saints, Reformation Day, and Halloween. Beginning with the vigil’s call to prepare for holiness, the preacher encourages imitation of the saints, prayer for the holy souls in purgatory, and reparation for sins. He then discusses accounts of Celtic customs, costumes, trick-or-treating, and the folklore surrounding jack-o’-lanterns. The sermon distinguishes innocent children dressing up and collecting candy from superstition and fortune-telling. It recommends saint costumes, confidence in God, and devotion to the saints as ways to keep the evening focused on the faith. Historical origins are presented as discussed in the sermon; folklore and proposed explanations of customs should be distinguished from established history and Catholic doctrine. 00:00 Opening invocation 00:18 Three observances on October 31 00:35 The traditional Vigil of All Saints 01:09 Allhallowtide, saints, and holy souls 01:35 The vigil’s prayers and call to holiness 02:22 Changes to the vigil and octave 02:37 Reformation Day and Martin Luther 03:40 Prayer for conversion and reparation 04:05 Halloween and accounts of Celtic origins 05:01 Beliefs about spirits and the dead 05:33 Masks, disguises, and mumming 06:38 The discussion of trick-or-treating 06:54 Jack-o’-lanterns and the Stingy Jack legend 08:22 The afterlife and superstition 08:39 Fortune-telling and seasonal games 09:36 Innocent costumes and collecting candy 09:45 Dressing children as saints 10:01 Confidence in God and the saints 10:34 Spending, charity, and support for missions 11:19 Closing prayer and reparation For more please visit https://www.themarianfranciscans.org/ Please sign up at this link https://lifecrusade.org/ #CatholicHalloween #AllSaintsDay #AllHallowsEve #CatholicSermon #CatholicTradition #PrayerAndReparation #SensusFidelium 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴