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Joanna Bogle, catholic author and journalist, looks at how we can build a catholic culture through the year
As the Autumn begins, the evenings getting cooler, the mornings mistier, our expectations and plans also change. From long tradition and experience, we know that the end of summer spells the start of new projects: school starts again after the long break, church groups and voluntary associations of all kinds begin fresh programmes, and people return from holidays and start to re-establish routines. We tend to sigh for the summer that is passing, but perhaps deep down we don’t really mind – this new season has its own pleasures. As October is the month of the Rosary, this is a good time to start, or to reestablish, patterns of family prayer that may have gone a bit haywire during the summer. It’s worth getting a booklet about the Rosary, perhaps one that has Scriptural readings or meditations. Aid to the Church in Need (1 Times Square, Sutton Surrey SM1) has a good Rosary leaflet, and the donation you send to cover it will help Christians in countries where they are persecuted. Small children may fi nd a whole Rosary too long – so try saying just one Mystery with them. Make this a special time: candlelight, perhaps a statue or picture with some fl owers in front of it, and certainly a list of people for whom you will pray. This is a wonderful opportunity to collect together all those people and events about whom we tend to say casually “Oh, you are in my prayers” or “We must certainly pray about that”. The GOOD NEWS feature on “Pray for a Bishop” might come in useful too! October 2nd is the feast of our Guardian Angels – something good to ponder on as Autumn evenings get dark and winter looms. It’s good to talk and think a bit about angels – not vague beings, but a central part of God’s creation, bearers of His messages, mentioned often in the Scriptures, part of our lives and the life of the Church, powerful protectors. Then Hallowe’en looms. It’s become a serious commercial reality in recent years: plastic pumpkins, witches’ masks and costumes, ghosts-and-ghouls outfi ts. However much we may try to keep it all on the level of harmless fun, there’s a nasty element that seeks to exploit people’s fascination with the ghoulish and the occult. We just don’t need this. It’s good, then, to be able to report on the success of the “Night of Light” initiative – turning Hallowe’en into a night of prayer and hope. Skip the ghosts and occult nastiness, and let’s cherish this real alternative – which actually takes us back to the real Christian meaning of this season. Leafl ets and further information are available from Night Of Light (see across). It’s worth remembering that the word “Hallowe’en really means the Eve of All Hallows, All Saints. The word “hallowed” means “holy” – think of our most well-loved prayer, with its phrase “Hallowed be Thy name”. On All Saints Day, November 1st, we honour all the saints in Heaven – all the hallowed people who are now rejoicing with God. On this eve of All Saints, October 31st, we can know that they are with us in prayer. This Eve of All Saints is a great time for telling stories about the saints, and children could enjoy dressing up as a favourite saint and/or acting out some of the great events of his or her life. This needs preparation. Tap the names of the family’s patron saints into the Internet – there is plenty of good material out there to download. Get some good books and booklets telling the lives of saints (CTS, 40-46 Harleyford Road, London SE11 5TN has a wealth of material at moderate prices). Find out about videos – there are now cartoon versions of saints ranging from St Patrick to St Nicholas, and of course there are old favourites like “The Song of Bernadette” or “A Man for All Seasons. These could be used for the afternoon of October 31st. There are also traditional games, that were designed to chase away silly fears about ghosts and show Satan that Christians are unafraid of his power: apple-bobbing (apples in a bowl of water – try to catch one in your teeth, with hands behind your back)) or buns hung from a string like a washing-line across the room (again, try to eat one with your hands behind your back). Think, too, about a quiz on the lives of the saints, or a game in which people match up saints with their symbols (a half-coat for St Martin, fi sh for St Andrew, keys for St Peter). Meanwhile, preparations go ahead for the evening of prayer. It is worth finding out what is happening in your parish – if there is nothing, why not simply start something? Prayer in church, followed by refreshments at some one’s home or in the parish hall? A small gathering of families? An initiative from a prayer-group? Refreshments could include traditional things that we associate with this time of year – parkin (really a form of sticky gingerbread – the hot spicy taste of the ginger is meant to keep you warm), toffee apples for older children, making these can be fun if a bit messy!), baked potatoes, pumpkin soup. If you are going to church for a Night of Light vigil, why not carry lanterns? Many super-markets now sell candlelanterns, which are lit by small inchhigh candles. They are perfectly safe for children to carry. The traditional lantern made from a scooped-out turnip or pumpkin is also fun – and the original version has a smiling face, NOT a deliberately nasty one. A lantern-lit walk, perhaps saying the Rosary quietly together, can be an absolutely unforgettable experience. Seizing the initiative to make Hallowe’en a “Night of Light” pre-empts other activities and gives Christians the upper edge. The planning and preparation will be well worth it. On All Souls Day, November 2nd, we pray for all the dead. A visit to a graveyard to pray – a chance to lay fl owers on a grave of someone we love, or to pray at neglected graves. A good day for an Autumn walk, and perhaps a time to talk about family history. Remembrance Day is coming up and fittingly falls in November, the month of All Souls. Christmas glitters on the horizon, the Advent candles sending a message of hope and light. Autumn is a time to cherish.
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