(HT) (4) Palm Sunday

Holidays here are filled with rich traditions that have been done for hundreds of years. Holy Week and Easter are certainly included.

I went to mass on Palm Sunday, Domingo de Ramos as it is called here, not expecting something much too different than what we do back at home. I walked my hour-and-a-half and arrived at Church to find the place was completely empty. Now I have gotten used to not expecting things to start on time while down here but this just did not make sense since it was a little past 8:00am and this was the 8:00am mass. I asked around what was going on. They said that everyone was meeting at a place a bit away to have a procession which would lead to where mass would be. Since the walk to the town where the Church is all up-hill or better said as all up-mountain, I can’t say I was immediately excited to hear the news since I did not know where the place was exactly and that it was located even farther up the mountain. After looking around and following people’s directions, I found a group going to the meeting point. There were probably 100 people waiting in the shade on the cement street. I sat down to rest and listened to a few church leaders talk about the meaning of Palm Sunday and basically animating the crowd. The crowd grew bigger and bigger and by the time the priest arrived to begin everything, there were probably at least a thousand people. We all got in 2 lines on either side of the street and stretched ourselves out to a ¼ mile long. Helpers came to each person giving the thousands of palms which were already each made into designs similar to what you might see where we live. The priest then came around down the street blessing the palms and the people and carried one of those huge smiles only priests get when they get to drench their congregation. A gospel reading was said and the procession was begun with 3 people carrying crosses decorated with palms leading the 2 lines of people. The people on both sides were waving their palms and singing while processing forward. In the center and much further back was the priest with the rest of the people helping with the mass; and behind him were crowds of people following, which kept growing by capturing people as the procession moved along. As I passed the adobe houses and walked onto dirt paths and felt the wind and the warm sun, I began to think I had been brought to the times of Jesus. It just seemed too close to how I had pictured Palm Sunday in my head. The only thing really missing was the donkey with Jesus.

Every once in a while, I looked back to see the crowd keep going as we moved along – it was almost overwhelming to see the long line of people well behind me, probably now about ½ mile or more away.

So from the starting point, we went toward the river which we walked around carefully avoiding the rocks which the rainy season floods bring. From the river, the mass location became apparent. There was a huge cypress forest ahead with the trunks of the trees decorated with flowers and palms. There were even venders which had come to serve the needs of the people after a long procession. In the center of the forest the land rose steeply to form almost a high ledge. The face of the ledge was filled with cut flowers and on top was the altar. I went up on the ledge to watch as the forest filled with colorful clothing, glowing faces, and palms. At this point and many more, I wish I had brought my camera so that I might be able to explain just how amazing and unique this was.

Once everything was settled in, mass began with all of us sitting or standing or kneeling not on chairs or kneelers but on the ground or rocks or against tree trunks. Seeing people listening to the homily and the readings while sitting on the ground on the beautifully sunny day under the shade of the forest made me think even more that I was in not in the year 2008. It were as though I were listening to Jesus while doing his sermon on the mount.

The mass finished at noon and everyone filed back toward their home all going in different directions.

Traditions such as these are hard to forget. While not high-tech or filled with glitzy attention-grabbers, the simple symbolic actions done with an animated crowd in settings of natural beauty inspire me. For Good Friday, there will be processions all over Guatemala, some famous throughout the world. In my parish, most of what will be done for the rest of Holy Week will be a surprise as it was for Palm Sunday. I do know, though, that for the stations of cross on Good Friday, stations will be placed at various locations spread out throughout the town and the congregation will then process to these stations.

I’ll try to remember to bring the camera this time to take a shot so that you guys might be able to see what I am talking about.

Have a blessed Easter everyone!