HAPPY HALLOWEEN! The fall ritual day of costumes, candy, parties and dances has arrived!
Today's post gives me an opportunity to discuss the connection between pumpkins and masks.
One aspect of Halloween has ties to my native land of Ireland. The carving of "jack-o-lanterns" or as in America, pumpkins, comes to us from an Irish folklore story called "Stingy Jack."
Briefly, the story is about Stingy Jack's encounter with the devil. Jack was doomed to hell if he didn't change his ways in how he treated others. The devil tossed a coal ember toward Jack as he carried a carved turnip with him so Jack could find his way toward hell. In essence, Stingy Jack discovered the light within himself by turning away from the mask of his stinginess. Thus, the birth of carving pumpkins and an American tradition came to be!
There is a song I have occasionally listened to this fall called, "Take This Mask From Me." It is written by Catholic artists Jesse Manibusan and Michael Avolicino. The song may be found on their CD, "The Promise." I first encountered this song at an Archdiocese of Dubuque youth rally several years ago. Perhaps, it was written for the "Stingy Jack" inside all of us. Unfortunately, they have not produced a YouTube clip of the song. However, here are the lyrics:
Take This Mask From Me
Take this mask from me, so that I can see
All that I am and not what I pretend to be
Take this mask from me, so that I can see
The love that You are, the love that I was born to be
Grace me to be here and now
I hold my life waiting for your touch.
When I ponder it, Halloween doesn't come once a year for me ... or most of us, for that matter. At times, it is a daily experience of hiding behind an protective interior mask of some sort. It is not living as a daughter or son of God because we are not living a free and fulfilling life. Like the legend of "Stingy Jack," I see how I get "tricked" to live in sin and not in Christ's light.
This topic takes me way back to my freshmen year of high school. As part of our religion class, we read and discussed the book, Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? by John Powell, SJ. No matter what age, this is a very good book to read and use as a reflection/discussion tool.
In one of Fr. Powell's books, he uses an analogy of how humans sometimes can be like a broken popcorn machine.
If we were made by God to be fully alive, why do we often find ourselves reduced to making the best of a bad thing? Obviously, in our lives and in the lives of so many others something needed for the fullness of life is missing or at least is not being recognized and enjoyed. Somehow, somewhere, something has gone wrong. Somewhere along the way the light has failed many of us. In his verse, “Out of Order,” Andre Auw describes his reactions when he comes upon the scene of a young mother trying to explain to her four-year-old boy that the popcorn machine cannot give out its contents:
“You can’t get any popcorn, Child. The machine is out of order.
See, there is a sign on the machine.”
But he didn’t understand. After all, he had the desire, and he had the money, and he could see the popcorn in the machine. And yet somehow, somewhere, something was wrong because he couldn’t get the popcorn.
The boy walked back with his mother, and he wanted to cry.
And Lord, I too felt like weeping for people who have become locked-in, jammed, broken machines filled with goodness that other people need and want and yet will never come to enjoy, because somehow, somewhere, something has gone wrong inside.
From the book, The Secret of Staying in Love by John Powell, SJ
Thus, costume masks and interior masks speak a universal language of disguise. In both instances, we alter our identity so others don't know us! From the interior perspective, this may mean we may not even know ourselves, so we hide from within! At Halloween, this can be a lot of fun; however, on a daily basis, it is more of a prison experience for me because I feel I have to pretend to be someone I am not comfortable with to feel accepted. Why do we do this to one another? Why can we be judgmental and place conditions upon others to conform to one way of thinking or behavior prior to approving them to join our group? I think this is so counter-productive to Christian teaching because it expresses exclusivity and not inclusively, or better expressed as community!!! All of us have charisms, or natural spiritual gifts, to offer and receive from one another while making life a rich and full experience for all! It's all about encouraging each other to let our baptismal light shine for all to see and enjoy!
However, as "Stingy Jack" learned to curse the darkness within himself and his physical world by discovering his light, and Christ's light within, we have this choice each day. Christ's light dwells within all of us; it's our responsibility to keep the flame alive and roaring each day. This is where we need each other as our kindling ... our source to support each other's flame and light within ourselves and the larger community.
Thus, I think there is a connection between pumpkins and masks ... discovering the light they provide for us during our shadow moments! Perhaps, this is why we celebrate All Saints Day ... a day to realize the saint within the sinner in all of us!
Have a wonderful Halloween ... and thank an Irishman for their contribution to another holiday of fun and frolic! ;o)
Today's post gives me an opportunity to discuss the connection between pumpkins and masks.
One aspect of Halloween has ties to my native land of Ireland. The carving of "jack-o-lanterns" or as in America, pumpkins, comes to us from an Irish folklore story called "Stingy Jack."
Briefly, the story is about Stingy Jack's encounter with the devil. Jack was doomed to hell if he didn't change his ways in how he treated others. The devil tossed a coal ember toward Jack as he carried a carved turnip with him so Jack could find his way toward hell. In essence, Stingy Jack discovered the light within himself by turning away from the mask of his stinginess. Thus, the birth of carving pumpkins and an American tradition came to be!
There is a song I have occasionally listened to this fall called, "Take This Mask From Me." It is written by Catholic artists Jesse Manibusan and Michael Avolicino. The song may be found on their CD, "The Promise." I first encountered this song at an Archdiocese of Dubuque youth rally several years ago. Perhaps, it was written for the "Stingy Jack" inside all of us. Unfortunately, they have not produced a YouTube clip of the song. However, here are the lyrics:
Take This Mask From Me
Take this mask from me, so that I can see
All that I am and not what I pretend to be
Take this mask from me, so that I can see
The love that You are, the love that I was born to be
Grace me to be here and now
I hold my life waiting for your touch.
When I ponder it, Halloween doesn't come once a year for me ... or most of us, for that matter. At times, it is a daily experience of hiding behind an protective interior mask of some sort. It is not living as a daughter or son of God because we are not living a free and fulfilling life. Like the legend of "Stingy Jack," I see how I get "tricked" to live in sin and not in Christ's light.
This topic takes me way back to my freshmen year of high school. As part of our religion class, we read and discussed the book, Why Am I Afraid to Tell You Who I Am? by John Powell, SJ. No matter what age, this is a very good book to read and use as a reflection/discussion tool.
In one of Fr. Powell's books, he uses an analogy of how humans sometimes can be like a broken popcorn machine.
If we were made by God to be fully alive, why do we often find ourselves reduced to making the best of a bad thing? Obviously, in our lives and in the lives of so many others something needed for the fullness of life is missing or at least is not being recognized and enjoyed. Somehow, somewhere, something has gone wrong. Somewhere along the way the light has failed many of us. In his verse, “Out of Order,” Andre Auw describes his reactions when he comes upon the scene of a young mother trying to explain to her four-year-old boy that the popcorn machine cannot give out its contents:
“You can’t get any popcorn, Child. The machine is out of order.
See, there is a sign on the machine.”
But he didn’t understand. After all, he had the desire, and he had the money, and he could see the popcorn in the machine. And yet somehow, somewhere, something was wrong because he couldn’t get the popcorn.
The boy walked back with his mother, and he wanted to cry.
And Lord, I too felt like weeping for people who have become locked-in, jammed, broken machines filled with goodness that other people need and want and yet will never come to enjoy, because somehow, somewhere, something has gone wrong inside.
From the book, The Secret of Staying in Love by John Powell, SJ
Thus, costume masks and interior masks speak a universal language of disguise. In both instances, we alter our identity so others don't know us! From the interior perspective, this may mean we may not even know ourselves, so we hide from within! At Halloween, this can be a lot of fun; however, on a daily basis, it is more of a prison experience for me because I feel I have to pretend to be someone I am not comfortable with to feel accepted. Why do we do this to one another? Why can we be judgmental and place conditions upon others to conform to one way of thinking or behavior prior to approving them to join our group? I think this is so counter-productive to Christian teaching because it expresses exclusivity and not inclusively, or better expressed as community!!! All of us have charisms, or natural spiritual gifts, to offer and receive from one another while making life a rich and full experience for all! It's all about encouraging each other to let our baptismal light shine for all to see and enjoy!
However, as "Stingy Jack" learned to curse the darkness within himself and his physical world by discovering his light, and Christ's light within, we have this choice each day. Christ's light dwells within all of us; it's our responsibility to keep the flame alive and roaring each day. This is where we need each other as our kindling ... our source to support each other's flame and light within ourselves and the larger community.
Thus, I think there is a connection between pumpkins and masks ... discovering the light they provide for us during our shadow moments! Perhaps, this is why we celebrate All Saints Day ... a day to realize the saint within the sinner in all of us!
Have a wonderful Halloween ... and thank an Irishman for their contribution to another holiday of fun and frolic! ;o)
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