On October 25/12, 2015, at the Cathedral of St. Markella, Archimandrite Nectarios Socrates delivered this sermon on the subject of Halloween.
On October 25/12, 2015, at the Cathedral of St. Markella, Archimandrite Nectarios Socrates delivered this sermon on the subject of Halloween.
A shame that the Archimandrite has fallen for complete falsehoods about All Hallow's Eve, most of which was was propagated in evangelical tracts by Jack Chick, a noted fundamentalist Protestant crank who thinks the Vatican keeps a list of every single Protestant in a giant Supercomputer in Rome.
I tend to agree with both @Taylor Warren and Archimandrite Nectarios Socrates on certain points.
The Archimandrite is right insomuch that one can simply take a look around and the Halloween decorations and advertisements to see what a person who celebrates Halloween, (in the common, secular way) is really honoring. Skulls, zombies, witches, monsters, etc…it's a celebration of evil. I tend to believe that the zombie popularity in particular is Satanic in origin — the zombie being a mockery of the Resurrection of Our Lord Jesus Christ. And they are promoting these zombies to children with "cutesy" zombie dolls and stuffed animals. Ultimately, Halloween is not good for an Orthodox Christian to take part in. @Taylor Warren is right insomuch as All Hallow's Eve, or All Saints' Day Eve would start the Roman Catholic holy days of All Saint's Day and All Soul's Day. The United States' celebration of Christian holidays have been shaped by the forces of Judeo-Masonry and Protestantism, who despised the holidays in general. It's why Christmas, Pascha, and St. Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Pascha, and Halloween are celebrated the way they are: with a secular component. The US History regarding holidays is why I am not so keen to jump on the "Samhain" bandwagon.
Halloween has Christian roots. Do your research
I'm no Eastern Orthodox Christian but I strongly agree with his sermon. Halloween is the work of the devil. I will have no part of this diabolical holiday.
Oh yeah, kids dressed up as Power rangers or Spiderman going around from house to house getting treats and having scary fun at haunted houses is considered idolatrous and betrayal to God.
But yet, this very same priest and church will pray to Mary and dead saints, or "ask them to pray for us", and kiss paintings of them. Isn't it Ironic how this priest tells his church not to participate in Halloween because of all the "devil and death worship", but yet everyday in the Eastern Orthodox Church, they do the very thing they are trying to avoid on Halloween, which is talking to the dead. Exodus 20:4-5 says that we are not to BOW DOWN nor serve any graven images. The two terms are distinct.
I'm not easten orthodox but this he's saying is pretty accurate spot on
0:37 "Christ came on this planet…" FYI: The earth is not a planet, for it is motionless and not wandering. Planets are known as 'wandering stars'.
St. Isidore of Seville – The Etymologies: "Planets are stars that are not fixed in the sky as the rest are, but are carried through the air. They are called ‘planets’ (planeta) from the word plani, that is, ‘wandering,’ for sometimes they are carried to the south and sometimes to the north, and they are often carried against the cosmos, and sometimes with it."
The Holy Scriptures and the Orthodox Church teach that the earth is immovably fixed at the center of the universe. The sun revolves around the earth once per day. cf. Psalms 19:4-6; 1 Esdras 4.34
1 Esdras 4.34 O ye men, are not women strong? great is the earth, high is the heaven, swift is the sun in his course, for he compasseth the heavens round about, and fetcheth his course again to his own place in one day.
St. John Chrysostom – Homily III on Titus:
"For they who are mad imagine that nothing stands still, yet this arises not from the objects that are seen, but from the eyes that see. Because they are unsteady and giddy, they think that the earth turns round with them, which yet turns not, but stands firm. The derangement is of their own state, not from any affection of the element."
St. Gregory Palamas – Homily Six:
"He surrounded the motionless earth, as a central point, with the higher circle of the perpetually moving heavens, holding them in place by means of what lies between, all according to His wisdom, that the universe might stay stable while in motion. When the heavenly bodies all around were moving unceasingly and at great speed, the motionless earth had of necessity to take its place at the centre, its stability counterbalancing the motion, lest the sphere of the universe roll off its course."
Sts. Justina and Cyprian pray to God for us!
Just don't celebrate Halloween. You'll be better off.