Todays Sermon During the 5:30am Mass : “Light in the Shadows” Scripture: John 1:5 “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”

Tonight, as we see costumes, glowing pumpkins, and shadows dancing in the night, we remember that Halloween wasn’t always about candy or costumes.

The word Halloween comes from All Hallows’ Eve  the night before All Saints’ Day, when Christians remembered those who had gone before us in faith.

It was a time not to celebrate fear, but to face it  to look darkness in the eye and declare that Christ’s light still shines.

Let’s be honest we live in a world that knows darkness. Not just the kind that comes after sunset, but the kind that creeps into hearts: fear, doubt, hatred, grief.

Halloween reminds us that shadows exist but faith reminds us that they don’t have the final word.

When Jesus stepped into the world, He didn’t run from darkness He entered it, walked among it, and overcame it.

So when we see people dressing as ghosts or skeletons, maybe we can remember that our faith is bold enough to look at death and say, “You have no sting.”

Tomorrow is All Saints’ Day  a time to remember those who carried the light before us: the ones who prayed for us, taught us, loved us, and sometimes suffered for the sake of the gospel.

They faced their own darkness persecution, loneliness, loss yet they kept their candles burning.

They remind us that holiness isn’t about perfection; it’s about persistence choosing to shine when the world goes dim.

Who are the saints in your life? Maybe it’s a grandparent, a mentor, a teacher, or a friend.

When Jesus said, “You are the light of the world,” He didn’t mean only in the daytime.

He meant in the night in the hard times, in the moments when others can’t see the way.

So maybe this Halloween, every candle flickering inside a pumpkin can remind us of something deeper: even in the cold and dark, light still shines, and hope still glows. We don’t hide our light out of fear.

We lift it high so others can find their way home.

Let’s pray:

God of light,

as the night falls and shadows stretch long,

remind us that Your presence is stronger than fear.

Help us to shine in our words, in our kindness, and in our courage.

Thank You for the saints who lit the path before us,

and help us to be beacons for those who come after.

Amen

So tonight, as children laugh in the streets and candles glow in carved pumpkins, remember this: the world can be dark, but we are not afraid of the dark,

because the Light of the World walks with us.