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Dec 29th, 2019
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Just in case anyone is afraid of Halloween, let them consider this part of the Easter Sermon of our father among the saints, John Chrysostom, Archbishop of Constantinople. -- John Let no one lament at their poverty:
for the Kingdom has been revealed to all !
Let no one mourn that he has fallen again and again:
for forgiveness has risen from the grave !
Let no one be afraid of death:
for the death of our Savior has set us Free !
He conquered death by His death.
He destroyed the grave when He descended to the grave.
He put Hades into an uproar, even by tasting of His flesh.
Isaiah foretold of this when he said,
"You, O Grave, were embittered by encountering Him below."
Hades was embittered, for it was rendered void.
Hades was embittered, for it was mocked.
Hades was embittered, for it was destroyed.
Hades was embittered, for it was annihilated.
Hades was embittered, for it was enchained.
Hades received a body, but it encountered God.
Hades received the earth, but it encountered Heaven.
Hades received what it saw, but it fell by what it did not see.
O death, where is your sting ?
O Hades, where is your victory ?
Christ is Risen ! and death is cast down.
Christ is Risen ! and the demons are fallen.
Christ is Risen ! and the angels rejoice.
Christ is Risen ! and we are made Free.
Christ is Risen, and no one is left in the tomb,
for Christ is raised from the dead,
and He is the first-fruits of all who have fallen asleep.
To Him be the glory and dominion,
now and forever and unto ages of ages.
Amen.
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OrthoDixieBoy Member
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OrthoDixieBoy Member
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Excellent quote John. But still, strange words of optimism from a Father who's escatalogical outlook was rather grim.
Jason
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Jason this is read on every Pascha in the Byzantine Churches for the homily - at least the ones I am familiar with. The people respond in shouts repeating 'hades is angered' and then again 'Christ is Risen' It is truly a wonderful time. 
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I am certainly afraid of Hallowe'en. Every year children and even adults suffer severe injuries from fireworks. Every year children in particular are abused by such charming "customs" as razor blades in apples, or drugs disguised as candies. Every year pets are torched, even killed.
Fr. Serge
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For the past twenty to thirty years, since the scare of food tampering by mentally sick (and evil) people, all parents (including myself)have been taught to check their children's candy before allowing them to eat them... Ofcourse, while this parental checking of the wrappers for tampering is happening, (only factory wrapped candy is allowable) half of the best chocolate candies tend to disappear!  Alice 
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I am Catholic and Irish, and I have nothing against children (or adults, for that matter) having a costume party and eating sweets. I also have nothing against taking precautions to keep the children safely away from the predators - who are not figments of the imagination.
Jack Chick and his anti-Catholic pamphlets (he doesn't like the Orthodox either) have been around for a few decades - they were banned in parts of Canada as pseudo-religious hate materials (the stuff seems to sell well, so there must be a market for it).
Druids, by the way, were not interested in human sacrifices, nor are the fables about them worth very much - my favorite is the claim that the Druids were accustomed to perform sundry weird rites outdoors in the forests without benefit of clothing. Anybody who is familiar with the Irish climate will burst out laughing at that idea.
The pumpkin is not native to Ireland, so the Irish could not have invented the custom of carving pumpkins (or of eating pumpkin pie, for that matter). Lately, though, pumpkins are on sale in our supermarkets. Any parent with a brain knows that small children should not be allowed - let alone encouraged - to play with fire. If the parents want to have a burning candle inside a carved pumpkin, please make sure that the pumpkin is out of reach of the children.
Now will someone pass me a cup of hot cider with a cinnamon stick?
Fr. Serge
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Fr Serge Over here I have known about turnip lanterns since I was a child . Never could understand how anyone could carve a face on them - the innards are so hard. Very few children now go round the streets here in costume - they don't trick or treat [ though sadly thanks to influence from over the other side of the Big Pond , that's creeping in  ] We used to have Halloween parties - doooking for apples , and treacley things hanging on strings for you to try and eat - both activities with your hands fixed behind you back . Our kids , when they do go out 'guising' perform their party pieces , and are rewarded with a few goodies.
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I am certainly afraid of Hallowe'en. Every year children and even adults suffer severe injuries from fireworks. Every year children in particular are abused by such charming "customs" as razor blades in apples, or drugs disguised as candies. Every year pets are torched, even killed.
Fr. Serge I've never seen fireworks on Hallowe'en..is that a local custom in Dublin?
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I am Catholic and Irish, and I have nothing against children (or adults, for that matter) having a costume party and eating sweets. I also have nothing against taking precautions to keep the children safely away from the predators - who are not figments of the imagination. Yes, predators exsist, but I think West's point was that tales of poisoned candy and what not are simply rumors. Also there is no evidence that any form of child abuse is more prevevalant on Hallowe'en. Most chikd abuse (including sexual abuse) is committed by family members or other adults the child knows, not by strangers. Now will someone pass me a cup of hot cider with a cinnamon stick? Fr. Serge [/quote]
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Yes, predators exsist, but I think West's point was that tales of poisoned candy and what not are simply rumors. I am not so sure about that. Many years ago when my oldest was little, I do remember hearing a story of tampered Halloween candy and fruit on the local NYC news...that is when we parents were first told to look at all our children's candies before allowing them to be eaten, not to accept fruit, and to make sure that the candies were factory wrapped and that the wrappers had not been tampered with. That was also when parents first started trick or treating together with their children. These type of warnings were all over my parent's magazines and women's magazines, as well. I don't think that so much attention would have been given to a simple rumour. Alice
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As far as I remember there have been stories in Houston news specials where their investigative reporting tracks down suspicious candy. There has been enough tampering here that people should be careful.
I would also watch out for the people passing out condoms at their doors.
Terry
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Never mind the rumors. The Irish police and the Fire Department have issued statements on several very real horrific events tonight.
Fr. Serge
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Wow...this concerns me because I have many friends and relatives in Ireland. Horrific, eh? This is strange. I just checked several news sources in Ireland and saw nothing about this. What exactly did you hear?
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