Feasts, Seasons, Sacraments

Parents’ Prayer - Who’s that knocking, knocking?

A maniac comes to my door with a hatchet in his head and blood oozing down his face.

I laugh out loud and give him a high five. I drop an extra Butterfinger into his bag of booty.

Next comes a fairy princess with matching glitter on her cape and eyelids. I bow before her as I drop a few Kit Kat bars into her glow-in-the-dark plastic bucket. She bestows a smile on her humble servant and lightly taps the top of my head with her silver wand.

A mixed pack of hoboes and ballerinas rambles up our steps.

Football heroes and ghouls, vampires and Pocahontases, even a few cross-dressing cheerleaders show up. They all get what’s coming to them.

I greet Mr. Rogers with a bag of M&M’s, Michael Jordan with a fistful of Snickers (I’m a fan).

A hula dancer, three little pigs, Zorro, and a kid who may be a tornado victim (but pretty much looks this bad all year ’round) arrive toward the end of the evening and hit the jackpot, each getting gobs of candy that would otherwise make my kitchen cabinet an occasion of sin.

What a treat!

God, help me to welcome these kids with good heart and good hope no matter what frightening disguises they don, when they cross my path in sunless, colder days to come.

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