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| The Strategic Candy Reserve is ready to be deployed. |
Next weekend is going to be a strange one. Strange means unusual and good in this case, an array of familiar things in unaccustomed places.
Every year I look forward to Halloween. Anticipation starts in late August, when Mr. Dao, the fixer of all that is broken around here, begins to plan the acquisition of our Strategic Candy Reserve. I recall the previous Halloween to ascertain whether its stockpile of sweets was sufficient – last year’s was not – and adjust our procurement accordingly. That evaluation leads me to recall in slow-motion the rapid-fire barrage of silliness and delight that happens here as small, shrieking trick-or-treaters surge in near-ceaseless waves to the door of the rectory, subsiding into sporadic appearances of inarticulate adolescents too aware of their age to don costumes but still young enough to want candy. It is a hoot and a half.
Halloween is a big secular holiday nowadays; whoever thought that there would be such a thing as Halloween lights? We know it is rooted in the sacred worship of the Church. The night for all this mayhem is set in anticipation of the next two days, in which holy people and holy prayer cast out any demons or devils, and even the fear of death itself. That’s why they get this one evening to romp.
Goblins romping to the rectory are advised to recall that because it is a Friday, Our Eucharistic Lord will be exposed for adoration in the church from 4:00 until 8:00 that evening. They are welcome to stop in and offer a prayer if they want, costumes and all, thereby revealing their true identity as beloved children of the living God. But whether they enter to pray or simply romp past the doors of the church, they should keep a respectful quiet.
That all occurs on Friday this year, because for the first time since 2014, the Solemnity of All Saints falls on a Saturday. The bishops of our national conference do not wish to burden the faithful with excessive worship and have lifted the obligation to attend Mass that day. Nonetheless, we will offer an extra Mass at eleven that day for anyone who does not find rejoicing in the Saints to be a burden. The regular Saturday evening Mass will have prayers and readings proper to the solemnity, though most folks attending that will be fulfilling the obligation for Sunday.
Consequently Sunday is different, too, as the Commemoration of All Souls falls that day. The Mass at eleven will be our annual parish Requiem, in which we remember by name those we have lost and buried over the previous year, with the prayers of the Mass set to marvelous music by Gabriel Fauré. All our Sunday Masses will be Masses for the Dead, in which we fulfill our obligation to offer prayer and sacrifice for our dear departed – and maybe some not-so-dear, too, as it is salutary to pray for souls who have nobody willing or able to pray for them by name.
There will be an extra hour in the weekend as well, as we fall back into Standard Time. You may use the hour to rejoice in the Saints for the Solemnity on Saturday evening, to get more sleep overnight, or to pray for the Souls in Purgatory on Sunday, or even some combination of the three. However you spend the extra hour – it’s really just been held for us in escrow since March – make certain to set all your clocks back when you go to bed Saturday, or else you’ll be early for Mass on Sunday. We can’t have that, can we?
Sunday afternoon, after all is accomplished, the curtain of darkness will descend earlier than accustomed on this strange and wonderful weekend.
