Florida Catholic | Legend of Jack O'Lantern

Published: 10.26.07

After a hard day of taking advantage of people and swindling them out of their goods, Jack would often walk by the beggars on the streets. He stared at the beggars with cold eyes. Compassion and pity were emotions about which Jack knew nothing. He was even known to kick a few clinging beggars away from time to time. Yes, Jack was perhaps the most despicable man who ever lived.

One day while counting his money, Jack died. He woke up in a very dark meadow. Everything was dark; there were no colors, just shades of black and gray.

A road went uphill on one side of the meadow and down on the other side. Jack decided to go uphill and see where it would lead. As he went over the hill, he began to see a bright light far up the road. As he came close he had to cover his eyes. A soft, warm voice spoke to Jack from the light and told him to return down the road, for he did not belong.

“You see, Jack,” said the voice, “this is heaven and your life on earth says you are not worthy of heaven.”

So Jack turned from heaven and went back down the road. As he went farther, he saw another light. This time it was reddish, like flames. This was hell. He was still quite a distance away when the devil saw Jack coming.

“I’ve got all kinds of rotten people in hell,” the devil menaced, “but no one as despicable as Jack. He’s too bad, even for hell!” So the devil picked up clumps of red-hot coals and began to throw them at Jack, screaming and yelling for Jack to stay away.

Jack, now rejected by both heaven and hell, decided to use the coals to help him see better in the dark valley. He picked up a gourd and caught one of the hot coals with it, creating a lantern.

With lantern in hand, Jack heard the soft, warm voice again, telling him that he must wander the dark valley until the end of time. Continuing, the voice said that on “Holy Evening” he would be allowed to roam the earth with his lantern as a warning and sign to all that this is what happens to those who are greedy, miserly and selfish in their lives on earth.

So the lantern is a reminder to Christians and all people of faith and morals that we must be generous with our lives and resources, especially generous to the poor and needy.

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