>For the Orthodox Christians, participation in such idolatrous festivities, at any level, is intolerable and forbidden. “Thou shalt have no other gods before Me!”(Exodus 20:3)
>Believers betray God and His Holy Church by: participating in the Halloween ritual in any given form, impersonating the dead or mimicking other characters, wearing costumes and ceremonially wandering in the dark, asking for treats or offering them to children, participating in trickery and deception, consuming food and drinks that our "funny dressed" co-workers bring to celebrate this "joyful feast,” etc.
>This results in a willfully sought fellowship with the dead whose lord is the Celtic pagan deity Samhain, the Prince of Death, i.e. Satan. It is to Satan that these rituals, treats and food are offered.
>Be warned: “Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons; ye cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons.” (1 Corinthians 10:21)
>The Holy Orthodox Church is the Body of Christ. The seed of the Church is the blood of the Martyrs. By giving up their lives, the followers of Christ refused to partake in any form of idolatry. This anti-Christian and anti-Orthodox macabre performance undermines all reverence for the Holy Church and for the Holy Things. It mocks the Holy Relics and ridicules the Church Mysteries. By doing what is “fun” or what “feels good” in the moment, Orthodox believers are fooling themselves into thinking that there are no consequences for such idolatrous actions.“And cease having fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather even reprove them”(Ephesians 5:11).
>We are called to discern “the spirits” —whether they be of God or not—to scrutinize where fashions and manners come from and where they lead us.“Beloved, cease believing every spirit, but keep on putting the spirits to the test, if they are of God” (1 John 4:1).
>Dear parishioners, please do not betray Christ and His Holy Church during, the so called Halloween “festivities”. Remember the uncompromising words of the Holy Scripture:
>“Cease becoming unevenly yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership hath righteousness and lawlessness? And what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what consonance hath Christ with Belial? Or what portion hath a believer with an unbeliever? 16And what common disposition hath a temple of God with that of idols? For ye are a temple of the living God, even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk about in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be to Me a people.” 17Wherefore, “‘Come out from the midst of them, and be separated,’ saith the Lord, ‘and cease touching the unclean thing,’ and I will receive you, 18“‘and will be a Father to you, and ye shall be to Me for sons and daughters,’ saith the Lord Almighty.” (2 Corinthians 6:14-18)
>With our Risen Lord and Savior Jesus Christ there is no “trick or treat” but the Life Eternal accompanied with the victoriously joyful proclamation: Christ is Risen from the dead, trampling down death by death, and upon those in the tombs bestowing Life!
>And so, “be fleeing from idolatry” (1 Cor. 10:14), “and cease being fashioned according to this age, but be transfigured by the renewing of your nous, in order for you to put to the test what is the good and well-pleasing and perfect will of God.” (Romans 12:2)
>I said and saved my soul!
>fr. []