Dear Friends,
Aero bars, Coffee Crisps, Kit Kats, cheezies in little bags – all meant for the ghosts and goblins coming to our door tonight to celebrate Halloween. Truth be told, I have been mowing through them ever since they went on sale and since the Blue Jays have been in the playoffs. Tiny wrappers have been strewn about our house, on the mantle, bedside table and in the couch. We have made at least three trips to the grocery store to replenish our stock. Games going deep into the night, pacing the floor to coax the next hit or out, while munching on Smarties just seems to be part of the liturgy we are living through.
On All Hallow’s Eve, the streets of our communities will be occupied by parades of children scurrying from door to door dressed as superheroes and rock stars, cartoon characters and princesses. They will drag their parents behind them. And then their parents will coax them home before 8 p.m. I have always loved Halloween. It doesn’t take much for me to remember my hustling around the neighbourhood with friends, all decked out in costumes, clutching an ever-growing bag of candy. And to remember being the parent waiting on the sidewalk as our children approached a door and asking for a “Trick or Treat.” So many wonderful memories.
Halloween is just the beginning of our collective call to remember. On All Saints Day, we hallow the superheroes of the Church. Ordinary people who steeped their lives in the covenant of their baptism. People who bore witness to the Good News unfolding in their own times and context: Julian of Norwich, Francis of Assisi, Catherine of Siena, Peter, John… Down through the ages the parade of saints gets longer and longer. Their lives summon us to a liturgy of constancy and faithfulness.
All Saints, of course, leads into All Souls, when we remember the superheroes in our lives, people who showed us what it means to walk in holiness and light. They were people who invited us into a deeper knowing, a richer pilgrimage of faith. They were ordinary people who left us with a deeper conviction to follow Jesus. They have been, for me, family members, colleagues, pew mates, choir directors, teachers, neighbours and perfect strangers. They always seemed to offer an encouraging word, a living example, a pattern to follow, a timely prayer when I needed it the most.
Mary and I will be heading to All Saints Church in Peterborough to celebrate 150 years of ministry in that place and to confirm four members of the community. The Rev. Samantha Caravan, incumbent of the parish, asked each confirmand to write a letter to me. They are beautiful messages of hope and grace. Here is an excerpt from one:
To me, confirmation is like glue – it binds me closer to God and affirms my commitment to walk in His light; so for me, to be confirmed is to strengthen my relationship with God. I made a promise to myself that each day I will grow myself to become a better Christian. I thank my mom for introducing me, showing me how I should live my life as Jesus would – patient, caring, loving, kind and forgiving.
And with words like these, the parade of saints in the making gets longer.
Yours in Christ,
The Right Reverend Andrew Asbil
Bishop of Toronto
P.S. Here’s hoping for another parade – let’s go, Blue Jays!
