Domingo Ramos

Walking up the mountain...

Me and the Girls

Br. Mateo and the girls




How is it Palm Sunday already? Having lived in Mexico, I LOVE Holy Week and Easter in Latin America! The beauty of the Catholic culture really shines through in the way people venerate and honor Christ’s passion, death, and resurrection! Today we had the procession for Palm Sunday. All the families from our parish took a “pilgrimage” up the mountain, we lined the streets waving our palms, old and young alike, awaiting the passage of Fr. Armenio on the donkey as he reenacted how Jesus went through the streets of Jerusalem. It really spoke to me the people I passed as I walked up the mountain. First I saw Br. Mateo walking in front of me: he took the baby of one mom who was struggling with the hot sun, and the weight of carrying her up the mountain, and next to him were two little girls holding on to his rope tagging along. He was Jesus carrying us up the mountain. Next along the way I saw some of the girls from our neighborhood, two came over to walk with me and hold my hands as we all walked forward… God always sends someone to accompany us along our journey. While continuing upwards, a man in his eighties was walking slowly with his cane, the little kids surrounded him, and in some sense pushed him forward… never leaving him behind…
How beautiful to see a small representation of how we are all called to help each other along the way. At times some are weak, and some are strong… we need that hand offered to continue up the mountain. When the old slow down, the young come to help and to learn from them. We arrived at the top of the mountain to have mass, people were standing outside it was so packed. It was beautiful to end celebrating the most central act of our faith, the holy sacrifice of the mass. There is such inclusion in this catholic culture. There is such deep meaning in the “body of Christ”, you may not know the person sitting next to you, but you are their family because you share the same faith. The kiss of peace reminds me of a family reunion…ha the kids run to make sure they get everyone; including the HUGE line for the priest…it’s quite a show….but beautiful in the way people extend a hand! It was a beautiful Palm Sunday to begin what I hope to be a blessed Holy Week! May we enter into His passion and death…and await His Resurrection!