https://spiritdaily.org/blog/87442-2/ Hobby Lobby refuses to sell Halloween merchandise. Thanks be to God. Yay! We just had a Hobby Lobby store open in Annapolis.
I've noticed for years that Hobby Lobby doesn't sell Halloween decor. I used to be disappointed by that long ago, but as the years went on and Halloween decor became more and more evil, I have become very grateful that I can take my kids into Hobby Lobby without having horrible things I have to steer them away from. We no longer go to the Halloween sections of most stores because much of it is downright demonic at this point.
Surely there must be demons involved in all this. Possession. Especially around Halloween. It would be a very good thing if Catholic schools kept sacramentals on site. Halloween is one of the four great Satanic Feasts.
Has anyone else noticed all the witch-themed food being advertised at many chain fast food places? It is over the top this year. The worst thing is that my husband showed me that Bush's beans is offering "enchanted" canned beans that have actually had a spell put on them by a real witch. Supposedly the spell is for the weather to be good for trick-or-treating, for the people who eat those beans.
This is horrifying. Utterly horrifying. Fr Ripperger and Fr Reehil both emphasize the importance of praying over our food always. And over everything we bring in to our house. October is a month of glorious saints but also great darkness.
I just heard a priest who wrote a book on Bl Sheen's talks on the devil. He said that we are living through the devil's Pentecost right now. And events like this just prove it. God have mercy!
Maybe coincidence but this week's writing from Fr Steve is spot on. I never knew about this dream if Don Bosco... The Elephant Dream By Fr. Steve Ryan, SDB It was the sixth of January in 1863 and all the young people at Don Bosco’s Oratory gathered in the courtyard to await Don Bosco’s new year address. It was late! He normally gave the theme for the new year on the last day of the year. The Salesians call the theme for the year – the Strenna. Don Bosco began his address by admitting that he had had trouble figuring out what the theme for this year should be and that that’s what caused the delay. He told them that he awaited inspiration and found it in a dream. The previous night he’d had a weird dream and when he woke up he wrote down the details. It was a dream about an elephant. He told them the dream and now I’d like to tell it to you. Here it is: St. John Bosco recounted that he was in his room in the late afternoon and all the boys were busy playing. In his dream he remembered that there suddenly was a knock on his door. He rose quickly and opened it. His mother, Mama Margaret (dead already six years), was standing there. Breathlessly she gasped, “Come and see! Come and see!” “What happened?” I asked. “Come! Come!” she replied. “I dashed to the balcony. Down in the playground, surrounded by a crowd of boys, stood an enormous elephant.” He raced downstairs to see this unusual sight. He observed that many of the youngsters had run up to the elephant and tried to pet it. The animal seemed meek and tame. Playfully it lumbered about, nuzzling the boys with its trunk and cleverly obeying their orders to raise its front leg or roll a ball with its trunk. It almost seemed like a harmless pet – as if it had been born and raised at the Oratory. Don Bosco recalled that he didn’t read too much into it at first but as he passed Our Lady’s statue beside the drinking fountain, he touched the hem of her mantle and said a short prayer for protection. Unbelievably, the statue of the Blessed Virgin raised her arms. This gave him caution. When the bell rang for church services, the boys trooped into church for Adoration and Benediction. From his place in the sanctuary Don Bosco could see the elephant standing at the rear by the main entrance. When he gave the Benediction the elephant, still standing at the back door of the church, turned his back to the Eucharist. Once services were over, Don Bosco wanted to take off his liturgical garments quickly and tell the boys to stay away from the beast, but the boys dashed out quickly to continue to play with it. By the time he got there he saw a grisly scene. The monstrous beast, once so tame, suddenly ran amuck. Trumpeting furiously, it lunged forward, seized the nearest boys with its trunk, hurled them into the air or flung them to the ground then trampled them underfoot. Though horribly mauled, the victims were still alive. Everybody ran for dear life. Screams and shouts and pleas for help rose from the wounded. Worse – would you believe it? – some boys spared by the elephant, rather than aiding their wounded companions, joined the elephant in punching and kicking new victims. Don Bosco said he was dumbfounded and horrified. All he could think to do was to say a Hail Mary! As he was doing so the statue of the Blessed Virgin on the right side of the playground became alive and grew life-size. Our Lady raised her arms and spread them open. Her mantle stretched far and wide as a shelter for all those in danger to gather beneath it. A majority of the boys ran to her for safety. Others delayed. The Blessed Mother even called out aloud, “Venite ad Me omnes! (Come, all of you, to Me!)” Her call was heeded and the crowd of boys under her mantle increased. However, a few youngsters kept running about and were wounded before they could reach safety. Flushed and breathless, the Blessed Virgin continued to plead but fewer and fewer were the boys who ran to her. The elephant continued its slaughter and was aided by several lads who dashed about with swords in their hands actually preventing their companions from running to Mary. These kids were striking blows upon their companions. The elephant never touched these helpers. Meanwhile, prompted by courage and the encouragement of the Blessed Virgin, some boys left the safety of her mantle in quick sorties to rescue some victims. No sooner did the wounded get beneath Our Lady’s mantle than they were instantly cured. Again and again, several of those brave boys risked their lives, shielding the victims from the elephant and its accomplices until nearly all were rescued. The playground was now deserted. A crowd of boys stood safe under the Virgin’s mantle. On the other side of the playground stood the elephant with some ten or twelve lads who had helped it wreak havoc and who still insolently brandished swords. Suddenly rearing up on its hind legs, the elephant roared and a thick cloud of smoke enveloped the beast and all those evil helpers. The earth suddenly gaped beneath them and swallowed them up. All was quiet now. After a brief silence, the Virgin, seemingly exhausted by so much pleading, soothingly comforted and heartened the boys. She said, “You heeded My call and were spared the slaughter wrought by the devil on your companions. Do you want to know what caused their ruin? Foul talk and foul deeds. Those guys who helped the evil elephant were enticing you away from Jesus and away from me. Now, go in peace, but remember My words: ‘Flee from companions who befriend Satan, avoid foul conversation, have boundless trust in Me. My mantle will always be your safe refuge.’” Don Bosco concluded that he awoke in a sweat and just knew that the dream was God’s inspiration for the annual Strenna (theme) – Go to Mary for protection against the evil one. He told the boys to examine their consciences. “You’ll know if you were safe under Mary’s mantle, or if the elephant flung you into the air.” Don Bosco told them. “Those who were mauled by the elephant are to learn to avoid foul talk and bad companions. Those who strive to entice their companions from Mary must either change their ways or leave this house immediately. Satan’s accomplices must either mend their ways or go!” Throughout the week after this talk about the dream of the elephant, the boys kept discussing it. Every morning the line at the confessional was long. Every afternoon they pestered Don Bosco to find out what role they had played in that mysterious dream. A note from Fr. Steve: I’ve told the dream of the elephant in goodnights, homilies and at summer camps over the last forty years. I’ve gotten mixed reactions at times. Some may think it’s too traumatizing, but I do believe young people over twelve years old need to hear it. Devotion to Mary is our powerful antidote against evil.
A few days ago I went into a store the purchase a frying pan. It's a general store called 'Home Store and More'. All the people on the line for the checkout were buying Halloween tat. Some had children with them. It was all spooky themed stuff and not so cheap. A lady ahead of me, who looked like a regular middle aged mom, had a horrible tattoo on the side of her neck of a half eaten apple with the word 'lust' written underneath. It was completely visible over the collar of her jacket. Horrific. I live in an area that has many prehistoric stone circles and evidence of drud activity. It draws all these weirdos into the area for Halloween. I'm hoping for lashing rain and freezing conditions for Halloween. Otherwise they will be dancing and all sort of shenanigans going on at the ancient sites.
