How Halloween foreshadows the Three Days Darkness ...

The Death-skull Halloween comet which passed by.

If you shut down the house, that is.

Close all the shutters, no outside lights, candles the only interior light.  Don't look out the windows, or go to the door, pray no one vandalizes your property because you're not giving out candy.  Little demons and witches - pimps and whores dressed to kill, scary psych nurses and vampires roam outside - but don't look out.

It's roughly about three hours darkness, from 6 to 9 PM.  Then it's over.

It's a rehearsal for the Three Days Darkness people.  I survived.  Evidently the witch next door did as well - she was out at 8 AM mowing and mulching and cackling.

Don't know what the Three Days Darkness is?

There shall come over the whole earth an intense darkness lasting three days and three nights. Nothing can be seen, and the air will be laden with pestilence which will claim mainly, but not only, the enemies of religion. It will be impossible to use any man-made lighting during this darkness, except blessed candles. He, who out of curiosity, opens his window to look out, or leaves his home, will fall dead on the spot. During these three days, people should remain in their homes, pray the Rosary and beg God for mercy. All the enemies of the Church, whether known or unknown, will perish over the whole earth during that universal darkness, with the exception of a few whom God will soon convert. The air shall be infected by demons who will appear under all sorts of hideous forms. - Source

That's Halloween - a prelude to the Three Days Darkness.  And Americans think it's fun.

My big distraction during Mass.  I kept thinking

I'd like to do what Harvey Korman is doing in this

scene from High Anxiety.  I could turn around

at the sign of peace like this.  Maybe next year.

Mass notes:

The costume Mass at my parish was moved to today, so I was happy last night's Mass would be solemn and dignified.  Five minutes before Mass, the organist startled everyone with one of those classic horror film preludes: Bach:Toccata and Fugue in D minor.  I wasn't scared, but I laughed out loud.  As Tammy Baker would say, "That mean ol' devil broke the silence and recollection anyway."  Oh well. A couple of people quietly applauded.  I had to laugh again.  There were a few other instances I had to squelch laughter - but I'll keep them to myself.

Halloween is fine for those who want to celebrate it - Christian origins or not - I don't really like it or care about it.  I appreciate the 'old fashioned' way of doing it - kids get dressed up, trick or treat - house to house.  Now the kids are bussed by a parent - taken to better neighborhoods to get their stuff.

The weird part is that it's adults who won't let the holiday go.  It really is a bit of 3 days darkness - since last week everything is geared to Halloween.  Television news, Network morning shows, television shows, etc.  Friday evening adults in costumes were shopping, and check out employees were in costume as well.  It's a bit like Venice during carnival, I suppose.  Nothing is really wrong with it - except we all tend to party while everything else collapses.

Mass isn't even sacred anymore.

Why does Mass have to be made entertaining or amusing?

Sometimes I envy the tradsters and the availability of the Extraordinary Form.



Song for this post here.

Blow it out your pipes.

The power of myth and creating new mythologies.

The power of myth.
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In the late 1980's Bill Moyers did a six hour long documentary on PBS interviewing Joseph Campbell titled The Power of Myth.  I enjoyed the series very much since I have always been attracted to myth - from an early age I was intrigued by Greek myth, Germanic folk tales based in myth, and of course legends associated with the saints which may have been partly based in myth.  Such interests are not uncommon for visual artists.  I like myth and allegory.
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In response to a question posed by Moyers, Campbell said what we need today are new myths and rituals to give meaning to our existence in a society spiritually alienated by materialism and technology.  (Not a few nuns obviously took him up on that.)  Interestingly their discussion included a new definition or purpose for marriage as well.  Campbell was raised Catholic but appeared to have lost his faith through his comparative religion scholarship.  I can't help but think of the  Muggeridge quote in my sidebar:  “Accumulating knowledge is a form of avarice and lends itself to another version of the Midas story. Man is so avid for knowledge that everything he touches turns to facts; his faith becomes theology, his love becomes lechery, his wisdom becomes science. Pursuing meaning, he ignores truth.”  All in all, I enjoyed the series back then and found it useful.
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New mythologies.
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Campbell need not have worried about creating new mythologies however, that process is ongoing, and he most likely contributed to it.  Moyers and Campbell discussed a new mythology for marriage - as a romantic arrangement/relationship no longer tending towards reproduction.  I've written about the new mythology as it concerns the new 'gay' legends associated with the lives of the saints.  Likewise we have seen how new age occult beliefs have infiltrated church, school, and business.
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I think we see it subtly inserted into new theological thought and ritual as well.  Most notably these days as it concerns popular interpretations of TOB or Theology of the Body.  The Paschal candle as phallic symbol immediately comes to mind.  It is an erroneous concept promulgated by Chris West, Fr. Loya and others - albeit evidently endorsed by such authorities as Cardinal Rigali.  Similar to the gay-saint myths, this stuff embeds itself into the popular culture - religious or otherwise.  Myth has a way of burying itself in our consciousness - or rather the unconscious mind - and is a highly effective tool in changing moral and cultural values and attitudes.
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Needless to say, it is the power behind the Vampire films and Harry Potter series as well.
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Myth always seems to flourish in the 'dark ages' - I'm surprised Campbell and Moyers didn't notice that.