The Christmas eve liturgy in the parish was a joyful celebration. The church that was overflowing with people. Many were dressed in clothing made from special printed cloth with pictures of the Holy Family, prayers and Christmas greetings on them. The parish covers a large geographic area and some people traveled a distance to come to mass. Since the mass ends at midnight, long after dark, and there is also a morning liturgy, many people sleep in the church on Christmas eve. As soon as the mass was finished people started drumming and dancing together to the rhythm of the drums just outside the church. There was a wonderful sense of joy and celebration.
Following the liturgy, we had a party at the convent. We ate and drank, danced and laughed, and danced some more. People really than seemed to enjoy one another’s company. Dancing around the table to music of various cultures seemed to bring us all together. One of the priests who had gone to a small chapel in a smaller village this one, which is still in the parish, came after he had finished mass there. It was about 3:30 in the morning when our Christmas party ended. Still, we got up for 9:00 mass the following morning. I was sitting next to a woman who was holding a small baby. When I returned from communion she placed the child in my arms, so that she would not have to carry the baby to communion. Smiling, I looked down at the sleeping infant in my arms; that brief moment was itself a true Christmas gift.
On Christmas eve and Christmas day we had many visitors who came bearing gifts for the sisters. A woman came with her new baby who was very healthy; the sisters had cared for her first child through the nutrition program; her new baby does not need to be in such a program because now she knows what a baby needs to thrive. She brought us a live chicken as a gift. We gave her some homemade cookies and something to drink. Several people brought us beer that they had brewed themselves. Others brought food that they had cooked. On Christmas evening the parish youth group came to visit. They brought with them two drums that are essentially wooden boxes with what I assumed to be an animal skin on one side. The youth playing the drums sat on them while making music. The others sang and danced in a circle. We joined the dancing and gave them some refreshments. People share their gifts, their food, their talents, their time, their presence.
I will be lucky if I can get a strong and stable enough internet connection to post this within the next couple of days, so I will not even attempt to upload pictures while I am here, although I do have some I would like to share.
May you experience many blessings and graces during the New Year. Peace!
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