Pumpkin Carving Litany & Prayer

As you are preparing your pumpkins for fall and Halloween decorating, here’s a fun and thoughtful pumpkin carving activity from Fr. Bill.

Start by carving a pumpkin and keeping the pieces intact. Cut the eyes, ears, mouth, nose and cut a circle around the stem. Remove the seeds and insides of the pumpkin, put them in a plastic bag and return it to the inside of the pumpkin. Put the eyes, ears, nose and mouth back in the cut-out holes and replace the lid. Have a candle and long-stemmed lighter ready.

Have your family and/or children recite this prayer:

Lord, open my mind so I can learn new things about you and the world you created. (Remove the top of the pumpkin.)

Remove the things in my life that don’t please you. Forgive the wrong things I do and help me to forgive others. (Pull out the bag of seeds.)

Open my eyes to see the beauty you’ve made in the world around me. (Remove the eyes.)

Open my ears when I hear your word, so I may learn how you want me to live. (Remove the ears.)

I’m sorry for the times I’ve turned up my nose at people who are different from me, but who are your children, too. (Remove the nose.)

Let everything I say please you. (Remove the mouth.)

Lord, help me show your light to others through the things I do. (Place a candle inside and light it.)

Amen.