WHITBY FREE PRESS, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31, 1979, PAGE 21 The Church Speaks I Hallçoween and the Christian faith Itsalintheý way that you, look at it that death is not theendAÀ few resort to spiritualisrn* vainly trying to make contact witb departed loved ones. Christians fmnd much greater confidence ln the person of Jesus Christ. Jesus <ied. Jesus was buried. God raised him froin the dead. On numerous occasions the risen Jesus ap- peared to numerous* frîends. Jesus returned to the Father, promising a similar resurrection to his faithful followers, including us. Ail Saints' Day is the Christian's day on which we recaîr* ail the baptized 'graduates', of iChrist's Church. By 'graduates' we mean the faithful departed who have lived for, and loved their Lord and their fellow hunian beings. The word 'saint' draws many confused pictures. To Peter, Paul, James and John we give a titie saint. But countless others are also saints. At various high schools Ontario Scholars will soon receive awards. Besides those who won averages of 80 per cent and higher there will be many other worthy graduates who will make a good contribution to our world. Graduates are graduates. Saints are saints. We may not realize that Aunt Susie, who was so gentie, so honest, s0 devout, or so considerate is also a saint. The capital 'S' for saint, given to St. Francis of Assîsi is, the church's way o marking outstanding disciples of Jesus. In university the graduate may receive the honour 'magna cum laude'. With Jesus there are no such distinctions about his followers. We are ail saints in the making. Tornorrow, along with St. Timothy and St. Mary we will recail saint Hank and saint Joyce. For the faithful are al saints. We laugh it up onl Halloween, frankly spooflng the pagan influences. But on Ail Saints Day, we rejoice in the mnemory of simple folk from ail ages, the known and unknown, who served their Lord and ours.1 We will ail be remembered too, but how? Wil it be for our love, our faithful witness, our generosity? Or for something much less desirable? By baptism we are ail saints. You and I shouid remember those who have gone before us, who demonstrated how imperfect people could still respond to God's caîl through Jesus. Learn from the saints and the Saints. Read their stories in the New Testament, or in various biographies. Ask God's help to grow into a faithful servant of Christ. Begin growing in grace while there is still time. By THE REV. J.A. RONEY MI Saint's Anglican Church, Whitby It's ail in the way you look at it. Some people treat death as a joke every Halloween. Ghosts and skeletons, Frankenstein, Dracula, and even the 2th century Darth Vader corne to knock at your door to night. For the children who enjoy Halloween there is every, expectation that ghosts are real. Wèll, almost réal. Other people save their convictions about death for tomorrow. for it's on Ail Saints' Day, November lst, when Christians celebrate their belief in the resurrection. The faithfuldeparted are remembered with joy in firm convic- tion that death is not the end. Jesus said. "In my Father's house are many roomns; if it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And- whe'n I go and prepare a place for you, I will. corne again and will take you to myseif, that where T am you may eas"(John 14:2,3) Strange as it may seemn there is merit for both of these approaches. Halloween, or Holy evening, goes back to ,pagan'notions about the dead. Druids in Britain and France believes that in -the fal of the year the ghosts came back to haunt the living. Cats were thought to be persons returned to live again in payment fo their bad lives. As a resuit many historical and fictional characters appear on Halloween, in the old pagan style. With more than a littie imagination, and scoops of supersitions, children go 'spooking' every Halloween. Most of us enjoy thé costumes and the playac- ting as we try to guess the names of our visitors. Commer- cially, of course, children go out looking for loot', and that's a North American addition to, the night. Death is treat.edcomically on October 3lst. Many of us are not so casual about 'death. It comes so. close to us so often. One day we know our names will ap- pear on a notice board at some funeral parlour. What will our destiny be? Some live out their lives with a vague-belief CCOZT !IMtPLACE for Iamily 'en- joymnent. Beautliully kept 3 bdrm brick bungalow, flnlahad lowar lavel, 4pc & 3pc batha, six applances, dot. garage. only $W6500 In N. Whltby. See Il now. Low Int. Rats. WHITSV DUPLIEX $53000. lot mtge and at 10%, per cent. VTB 2nd et l0w Int. 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