All Hallows Eve

   Halloween is as exciting for me now as it was when I was a child. From my earliest memory of dressing up as Little Red Riding Hood and visiting my Aunt Violet and Uncle Frank... to when I was a 14-year-old watching the original "Halloween" when it hit the movie theaters with my friends in 1978... to, today, as I carve a huge jack-o-lantern in record time, roast pumpkins seeds, and dress for the occasion (last year, I was Blessed Kateri Tekawitha, and this year, I'm a coyote).
   Yet, the real reason for the day is more often than not overshadowed by ghosts, goblins, or princesses. It is the vigil of All Saints Day (Nov. 1): an evening that should be filled with light. In a world abundant with sin, greed, hate, and poverty, the saints will help light our way.
  In preparation for All Saints Day, I recall this quote by Blessed Teresa of Calcutta:
  "Keep in mind that our community is not composed of people who are already saints, but of those who are trying to become saints. Therefore let us be extremely patient with each other's faults and failures."