"We belong to the light"

It's Friday! A day of penance, which I try to observe throughout the year by abstaining from meat. It's not really much of a sacrifice not to eat meat one day a week but it's something. It's a venerable tradition I like to observe.

I love All Saints and All Souls, which means I love All Hallows Eve, or Halloween, as we tend to call it. If I'm being honest, I like Halloween better when it falls on a weekday.

Celebrating the communio sanctorum that refers to the communion of holy people and things, this three-day festival is an ecclesial affair through and through. To use terms now largely (and understandably) outdated, during this triduum, we, the so-called Church Militant, celebrate the Church Triumphant and the Church Pentitent. Translated, those in heaven and those in purgatory.

Like a lot of people, my favorite seasons are the transitional seasons. I don't mind saying I prefer autumn to spring. Maybe that's because I was born in the fall? I also love Thanksgiving. "I care for 'Apple Jacks' a great deal" (a cultural reference to ponder).

Here in northern Utah, we're enjoying a beautiful fall. It's been relatively mild and a bit on the warm side. We've had rain and even snow in the higher elevations.

This morning, during my walk, on which my wife was able to join me, something she does a few times a week, we had a nice conversation, appropriate to fall. We discussed transitioning to a new a season of life. Both of us tend to be very busy. We like serving and, over the years, have spent a lot of time doing it. We agreed that we need to ramp some things down in order to focus on family, our home, and our relationship. In addition to still having three children at home, we also have responsibility for parental care.

Again, 2026 is proving to be quite a pivotal year. Spiritually, a time of stripping away or pruning.

It's been something of a tradition here on Καθολικός διάκονος over the years to post something on Halloween. But I think today's post will serve that purpose. So, our traditio for the eve of All Hallows Eve will be an old classic by the late and very underappreciated Warren Zevon: "Werewolves of London." This song has featured here before for Halloween. The live version from Jools Holland's show in 2000 features a shoutout to the late and venerable Joe Strummer, who was in studio sitting on some steps.

It's either "Werewolves of London" or "Monster Mash." A week or so ago, a "memory" popped up of a Twitter post (can't really get into calling it "X") I reposted:

Yes, indeed! Thinking some more, it might also be Cliff Richards' "Devil Woman."

In keeping with the tradition, while encouraging people to embrace and enjoy Halloween, over the years I've posted this verse:

For all of you are children of the light and children of the day. We are not of the night or of darkness (1 Thessalonians 5:5)

This brought to my mind another song. Pat Benatar's "We Belong." Enjoy the holiday/holy day!