Universal Church

Have you ever seen a Mexican do the sign of the cross during mass?  It looks quite like anyone else until we reach the end. The usual process is “In the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit” with the correspondent hand movements forehead, middle of breast, left shoulder and finally completing the cross at the right shoulder. Usually Americans finish there and place their hands back on their sides, but we Mexicanos seal it with a kiss; forehead, middle of breast, left shoulder, right shoulder and kiss. I hadn’t realized this small difference until I started attending Mass in English and noticed that I was the only one finishing the sign of the cross with a kiss.  At first I thought maybe I should stop this cultural variance, but the more I thought about it the more I liked ending with a kiss (smile).  It just seems more Christian to throw a kiss in the process and that extra step conveyed my alliance to my Mexican culture and just our loving nature.  A few weeks ago I returned to the Hispanic Catholic Community to serve as an RCIA leader and at our first team meeting I was greeted with hugs and kisses, though some of us were meeting each other for the first time we hugged and kissed each other.  It was so nice, the affection immediately made us friends and comfortable with one another.

Father during the Homily and the blessing of our crosses.

When we met with Father to go over the work plan for the RCIA year, he asked us to be part of the Mass of Send Off.  Together with the rest of the catechists we planned on wearing coordinating black and white outfits as a sign of union to celebrate the Eucharistic celebration.  During Sunday Mass Father interjected a brief ceremony placing a cross on each of us as a blessing for the work we have ahead of us as teachers of God’s truth.  It was really simple and took no more than a few minutes in the liturgical celebration – in addition, in his homily he encouraged us, parents and families to take our spiritual roles seriously.  I was left with a feeling of deep unity with my brothers in Christ, my community and my church leader.  I have noticed a difference between cultural communities and this post is not to say that one community is better than the other in worshipping and serving God--- I just think there’s so much richness in the universal church. 

Father placing the wooden cross on each of us.

First service I see my brother serving as a Eucharistic Minister (Super Awesome)!

In my young adult group one of my friends suggested that our small group should take advantage of the cultural mecca we have in Southern California and to try to go to services in different languages and of different cultures within the Catholic Church.  Every culture has traditions that are so beautiful and ways of honoring God that deepen my connection and relationship with Him.  At Vietnamese services they sing all the prayers (beautifully) and though I don’t understand what they are singing my heart rejoices when I attend their services.  One of the blessings of being Catholic as opposed to Protestant is our universal church- we are bound together in Christ and our church is larger than our small group, or the parish that we go to, or the diocese we belong to…  We are the church of Christ which transcends all limitations, barriers, cultures and walls!    

The RICA team and my wooden cross.