A Survival Guide for Hallowtide & Election-tide
tl; dr - Lord, make haste to help us!
When I was 9 years old, I marched into school as Joan of Arc.
Every other girl in my 4th grade class had chosen a quiet, demure saint for November 1st. Lots of Marys. A few Annes and Elizabeths. Probably a Terese of Lisieux for good measure.
The girls wore long dresses, soft slippers, and pretty veils. But I had pulled on my brothers’ plastic suit of armor, clanged on a helmet, and grabbed a sword.
I had been waiting for this day for years.
Our Catholic school celebrated All Saints’ Day with an all-school Mass, and every year the 4th graders were the ones who led on Nov. 1st. I’d been watching with envy from the pews as the Big Kids paraded up in their costumes and declared their saints’ names. I was itching to do the same.
So when our teacher asked us to learn a few facts about our chosen saint to share with the class? I (ever over-eager) memorized an entire loose-leaf sheet of paper scribbled with furious facts about my favorite saint.
I made the mistake of sharing this story with my husband while we were dating, and he routinely quotes the triumphant, dramatic ending of my 4th grade monologue:
“AND THEN I WAS BURNED! AT THE STAKE!”
Ever since that armored All Saints’ Day, dear St. Joan has always been a beloved source of strength, spunk, and shouting truth when I need it most.
Like right now.
This year, America’s election happens on the heels of Hallowtide—the triduum of feasts from All Hallows’ Eve (Oct. 31) to All Saints (Nov. 1) and All Souls (Nov. 2).
Whether the election is a day you’ve been dreading or dreaming of, it’s nearly here.
But we have to journey through these holy days first.
Perhaps there’s no more fitting time for us to face reminders of our own mortality, holiness, and belovedness. Halloween, All Saints, and All Souls step us into the depths of mystery: the communion of saints, the immortality of souls, and the seamless life of love between here and heaven.
Life and death are daily before our eyes with these feasts. Sounds a lot like the stakes in this election.
So remember: deep breath, armor on, be not afraid. We were born to do this.
Here’s how I’ll be praying through Hallowtide & Election-tide this year.
Reflecting on community this Halloween (and all that we’re missing in this hard year). Here are 4 great ways to do Halloween differently, thanks to Hallow.
Rejoicing with saints old and new on All Saints’ Day. (You have to check out this new prayer book for kids - and their adults. The video on St. Oscar Romero is amazing.)
Remembering the ones I’ve loved and lost on All Souls’ Day:
“All Saints and All Souls are thin places on the calendar, arriving each year as light fades and days shorten, leaves fall and gardens shrivel. We need to remember, now more than ever, that the veil between here and heaven is thin.”
I love to visit the cemetery on All Souls’ Day, not just to visit our daughters’ grave but to surround myself with the stories of saints and sinners who once lived here, too. Amid the anxiety and frenzy of Right Now, I hope you’ll find moments of prayer and peace this weekend to ground you in the eternity of what matters most.
Let the rest of us know what you’re doing, too?
And for Election-tide, here are resources to help you make a prayer plan alongside your voting plan:
Pray with the daily prayers from this Non-Partisan Novena for the 2020 Election
Offer one of these 9 prayers for discernment, leadership, and the common good from the Book of Common Prayer
Reflect on powerful words from my colleague Jane Patterson at the Collegeville Institute: In the Voting Booth with Saint Paul
Sit with this striking Benediction for Election Season and this Prayer for Election Day
May we receive the feasts of All Saints and All Souls as sacred days to sink into the mysteries of faith. May we grasp the truth to which they point us: time beyond this time and life beyond this life. May we feel the embrace of God’s love which unites the living and the dead.
May Hallowtide lead us into deep prayer and peace for the days that lie ahead.
Peace,
Laura
p.s. That gorgeous Joan of Arc print above? It’s from my friend Marie at Fawnly Prints.
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