The Beauty of Tradition
I have always been struck by the beauty of our Church’s rich tradition. No matter where you live in the world, we all celebrate the same liturgical seasons. There are always certain customs and practices that are woven through churches practicing the Roman Catholic faith. But one of the greatest gifts we have been given during our missionary journey was to be able to experience the particular way different countries celebrate the universal feasts we all have in common.
March is a perfect example of the cultural expression of our faith, particularly in Ecuador. Between celebrating our patron saint, St. Joseph, and preparing for and celebrating the Resurrection of Our Lord, we have been blessed to experience some of the most beautiful customs of Catholic Latin American traditions!
On March 9, we began a novena for the patron saint of our church, town, and school – St. Joseph. This included prayers, songs, and processions in honor of St. Joseph nightly. Nine of our almost fifty communities had the honor of receiving the church’s statue of St. Joseph, in addition to Fr. Giovanni Elias celebrating Mass. To culminate our novena, we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph on March 17 (a little early because of scheduling conflicts) with a Mass celebrated by Bishop Jesús Esteban, who traveled hours to minister to our town!
But the celebrations did not end there! Because St. Joseph is the patron saint for the local school as well, we then celebrated St. Joseph for an entire week at the school, immersing ourselves in the culture of this beautiful country. All students participated in traditional dances that represented the distinct cultures found in the jungle, the Andes mountains, and the Ecuadorian coast. Every region also presented food and drinks using authentic ancient recipes that had been passed down from generation to generation.
Not even two days passed before the beginning of the next, and even more compelling, traditions began. Palm Sunday began the most solemn of weeks. The rest of the week was a beautiful expression of our faith. We participated in a week full of penitence and meditation. After participating in the Chrism Mass – celebrated in the Cathedral of our prelature on Tuesday – the week continued offering a healing Mass and a Mass to bless the planting and the harvesting of the crops from our communities. We then were able to assist in the Holy Thursday recreation of the Last Supper celebration and adoration that continued for hours after Mass had ended.
Friday began with a memorable five-mile Stations of the Cross, wherein we experienced – for the first time – what it was like to meditate on the suffering of Christ for hours in the pouring rain in the middle of the jungle! It truly was unforgettable! Immediately following that, we entered the church, the whole congregation shivering and soaked, and celebrated the Veneration of the Cross. The afternoon was sanctified by praying and meditating on the seven last words of Christ, followed by “bathing” Jesus’ body and processing through the streets to His tomb, where He was laid to rest. There was a night-long vigil at His tomb until Saturday morning, which ended with a rosary and reflection on Mary and her suffering before the Resurrection.
But nothing can compare to the beauty of the Resurrection that was celebrated at the Vigil Mass Saturday evening. What an outpouring of grace! There is something so powerful about entering the church in the darkness and seeing the beauty of the church transformed as the light of Christ catches from one person to another. What a call to holiness and evangelization.
Throughout the readings, throughout the songs, and reaching the pinnacle of our faith at Communion, we were revitalized once again to go out and live our missionary vocations! This is why Christ came to this world. This is why He lived, preached, and died! He saved us from our sins! He lived so that He could unlock the gates of heaven and show us the way to enter! He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! He is our comfort! He is our strength! He died for us, BUT NOW HE HAS RISEN!!! ALELUYA, HE HAS RISEN!!!
Beautiful!! Love this so much ❤️
Thank you so much! Praise be to God.