This is a story of a family who found a better way to give meaning to October 31, Halloween.
The Velasquez family, Lily and Felipe and their two sons, Andy and Robert are devoted Catholics who participate in the Mass every Sunday. Three years ago we started a more systematic Home Faith Formation program in the parish in which the family participated. Once a month the families met together for family catechesis that included arts and crafts. Lily loves arts and crafts and so she dove in to help make this part of the Saturday meetings a success. She was happy to volunteer for this activity.
On the last family gathering day she signed up to be in charge of the Arts and Crafts component of the family gatherings of last year (2006-007). It was also the second year of the SONshine Summer Bible Camp at St. Christopher parish. We invited Lily and her boys to help at the camp.
Lily did a marvelous job as the leader of the Arts & Crafts last year that we asked her again to take charge of this component of the Family Monthly Gatherings this year. I don’t have to belabor the point, you’re getting the drift. This year Lily has recruited her Mother to help in the Monthly Gatherings of Families in the Home Faith Formation program.This family is discovering dimensions to faith that they never thought existed.
When I got home from helping an old friend of mine “The Voice from the Kitchen” asked me to read her articles for her column in the Parish Bulletin in case there were some errors that needed correcting. One of the articles is a story about Lily, Felipe, Andy, Robert and Grandma. They went out on Halloween night, (except for Andy who had to stay home because of school work) and they went to the homes in their neighborhood. No costumes or anything like that. They asked everyone for a donation of non-perishable food which they would turn over to the St. Christopher parish food bank. They were overwhelmed with donations. Everyone gave willingly and generously. When they got back home, Andy was wondering how anything could be so wonderful. He wished he could have joined the family. They could not believe what had happened.
They still can’t.
Right then and there, they prayerfully made a family resolution: this is their new family Halloween tradition
Now tell me, are you going to cry at their funeral?
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