From the Pastor’s Desk
From our Director of Religious Education
The Catholic Church is a Church of life and light. We love to celebrate, we have feast days all year long! Throughout the year, we celebrate the saints that are recognized by the Church, but on All Saints Day, we remember the saints whose names we do not know.
Through our baptism, we receive the waters of life and therefore are born into new life and eternal life when we depart from this world. We also receive the light of Christ at our baptism, so that we too can become a light for this world. As baptized Christians, we are called to spread the Good News of Salvation. The saints who have walked this earth before us have transcended into the heavenly Church. The Church is alive here on Earth and in Heaven! This is why we are a Church in Communion with the saints.
When I think of saints, I think of Holiness. The term Hallow means holy, (Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name…) Halloween, the name itself comes from All Hollow’s Eve – which means the Vigil of All Saints’ Day. The day when we remember our brothers and sisters who have gone before us to enter our heavenly home. On November 2, the Church commemorates all the faithful departed still detained in purgatory and prays so that they may soon be with God in heaven.
Unfortunately, pagan traditions have influenced this celebration and the culture of Halloween has become rather dark. It doesn’t have to be this way. What if we looked at this as an opportunity to practice the graces we received at our baptism? (life and light) If we turn off the lights and lock the doors, have we missed out on an opportunity to share God’s light on others? Our neighbors will knock on our doors once a year and ask for a treat. Sure, we can give them candy, but we can do so much more than that. Have we considered celebrating Halloween, All Saints Eve, in a Catholic manner? For instance, you can decorate your home with images of saints, go to Mass with your family, plan a movie night with popcorn and goodies and watch a story about your favorite saint or pray the rosary for the souls in purgatory. If you like to go trick or treating, pick a costume that is pure and pass out candy with a prayer card. When I say that the Church is life and light, I mean it is our responsibility to walk in the life and light of Christ. We should embrace our faith for what it is, and that is holy. How will you be a light to the world this Hallows Eve?
Peace,
Sandra Dominguez
Director of Religious Education
Signup to Join the Flock!
Do you want to stay updated with text and/or email notifications about upcoming events, Mass times, and more? Would you like to get your weekly pastor’s letter or bulletin by email or connect with one of our ministries? We have you covered! This is the best way to get the latest information from Mission San Luis Rey Parish during the ever-changing pandemic rules and unpredictable weather.
There are two easy ways to sign up for our Parish Text Message and Email system:
- Simply send a TEXT message with the words “MSLRP” to the number 84576.
- Use your computer to signup. Just visit: sanluisreyparish.flocknote.com
*Please note. We will not send spam messages. We will not sell or send your data to any third party. Your information stays in our parish system, and it is safe and secure with us! Welcome to the MSLRP flock at Flocknote!
then select "Add to Home Screen" and click "Add."