RCIA: Encountering Christ at the Well

Every Sunday, I am at Saint Barbara Parish for five hours during the morning helping with the RCIA program for the Hispanic community.  I was invited to join the group of catechists last year and I have to say that I absolutely love the ministry.  Yesterday, we began the scrutinies and Father joined us.  He helped us dive deep into the “Samaritan Woman at the Well” and then gave our students a very special blessing.  As part of the program we ask our students to go on a weekend retreat and last weekend they all departed to the mountains with Jovenes Para Cristo (young adult group).  Most were reluctant to go at first, but after much motivation we were able to convince all of them to take a weekend to just be with Jesus.  I remember the first time I went on retreat I took my car with the intention of sneaking out in the middle of the night if I felt like the “church people” were trying to brain wash me.  Thus, I understood the hesitation in my students, but just like I didn’t need a getaway car my students too encountered God in a very special way.  Yesterday, a few shared their retreat experience and all had a tearful testimony, a great experience of healing, a strong desire to change and serve God by loving their neighbor.  Some Sunday mornings, I don’t feel like spending half of my day at the parish- but when I see the fruits of our labors I become so motivated!  God truly is amazing!  After a weekend retreat, to begin RCIA classes again with the scrutinies was so fitting.

For each scrutiny we build an altar to visually represent the scriptural passage.  Always at the center we use a poster size painting of an artist's take on the scripture passage because God speaks to us through all our senses.  We even had a small fountain (black thing on the corner) to have the sound of flowing water (smile).

For this scrutiny we always build a well with bricks and in the center we have a cooler with drinkable water.  Towards the end of our reflection each student goes up and fills a jug with water from the well.  It's their portion of the living water that Jesus provides always in constant abundance.  

This year Father was able to help out.  During class he gave a very thoughtful teaching about the Woman at the Well.  He used his own experience traveling in the heat to the actual well in the Holy Land.  Then he performed a beautiful ritual with prayer, laying of hands and a blessing. 

This was a really special moment, Father went to each 

student and laid hands praying for each individually.

I am the designated photographer (at the end of the 

program I put a slide show together which the students love).

The blessing.

Cheers! God is good all the time, all the time God is good.

This years team.

The program is completely in Spanish and I love that because God to me has always spoken Spanish (smile).  As Pope Francis said, "Sentía como ganas de llorar al ver tanta esperanza en un pueblo tan sufrido."  I am Mexican-American and I love both cultures, but my faith was passed on to me in Spanish so I have a great weakness for Catholicism a la Español. 

Pope Francis in Mexico: 7 Quotes

I love Pope Francis.  I love the way he expresses himself even if many times he gets misinterpreted because I too have a tendency to say things spontaneously and many times they get misunderstood.  I followed his visit to Mexico very closely and below are seven of my favorite quotes...  I will go back to my regular posting next week- I am still not fully recuperated from my bronchitis so I haven’t had the energy to document my life, but hoping by next week I will be back to my normal self.

•  “He is waiting for us and wants to heal our hearts of all that tears us down. He is the God who has a name: Mercy. His name is our wealth, his name is what makes us famous, his name is our power and in his name we say once more with the Psalm: “You are my God and in You I trust”. Let us repeat these words together: “You are my God and in You I trust.””

• “And yet, on many occasions, in a systematic and organized way, your people have been misunderstood and excluded from society.  Some have considered your values, culture and traditions to be inferior.  Others, intoxicated by power, money and market trends, have stolen your lands or contaminated them.  How sad this is!  How worthwhile it would be for each of us to examine our conscience and learn to say, “Forgive me!”  Today’s world, ravaged as it is by a throwaway culture, needs you! ... Let us be resolved to be witnesses to his Passion and his Resurrection, by giving flesh to these words: Li smantal Kajvaltike toj lek – the law of the Lord is perfect and comforts the soul.”

• “The devil can overcome us with on of his favorite weapons: resignation... Resignation which paralyzes us and prevents us not only from walking, but also from making the journey; a resignation which not only terrifies us, but which also entrenches us in our “sacristies” and false securities; a resignation which not only prevents us from proclaiming, but also inhibits our giving praise.  A resignation which not only hinders our looking to the future, but also thwarts our desire to take risks and to change.  And so, “Our Father, lead us not into temptation."

• “Isolation is always a bad counselor.  Both, unknowingly, used the same expression; both showed us that very often the greatest temptation we face is to cut ourselves off, and far from putting our heart into things, this attitude of isolation ends up, like a moth, drying up our souls… It is true that living in family is not always easy, and can often be painful and stressful but, as I have often said referring to the Church, I prefer a wounded family that makes daily efforts to put love into play, to a society that is sick from isolationism and habitual afraid of love.  I prefer a family that makes repeated efforts to begin again, to a society that is narcissistic and obsessed with luxury and comfort.  I prefer a family with tired faces from generous giving, to faces with makeup that know nothing of tenderness and compassion.”

• “Above all, la Virgen Morenita teaches us that the only power capable of conquering the hearts of men and women is the tenderness of God.  That which delights and attracts, that which humbles and overcomes, that which opens and unleashes, is not the power of instruments or the force of law, but rather the omnipotent weakness of divine love, which is the irresistible force of its gentleness and the irrevocable pledge of its mercy… Guadalupe teaches us that God is known by his countenance, and that closeness and humble bowing down are more powerful than force.”

• “…for the heart of an apostle was not made for small things.”

• “Mary tells us that she has “the honor” of being our mother, assuring us that those who suffer do not weep in vain.  These ones are a silent prayer rising to heaven, always finding a place in Mary’s mantle.  In her and with her, God has made himself our brother and companion along the journey; he carries our crosses with us so as not to leave us overwhelmed by our sufferings… Be my ambassador, she says to us, giving food to the hungry, drink to those who thirst, a refuge to those in need, clothe the naked and visit the sick.  Come to the aid of your neighbor, forgive whoever has offended you, console the grieving, be patient with others, and above all beseech and pray to God…”

Lent: Prayer & Almsgiving

Yesterday, I posted spontaneously because I felt like I needed to share some things right away, but the post was incomplete.  Fasting and abstinence are part of Lent, but always accompanied by prayer and almsgiving as the traditional practices of the season.  The three practices are equally important and together can really aid in our conversion and growing closer to God.  Yesterday, I went to Mass and Father was telling us a funny story.  He said that on Sunday he was wishing his community (which is largely Vietnamese) a happy year of the monkey and one lady stayed after mass and corrected him reminding him that it’s the year of mercy not the monkey.  He laughed recalling the memory and reminded us that it is a year to practice works of mercy.  Pope Francis' message for Lent this year was to speak the words of Saint Matthew, “I desire mercy not sacrifice.”  Sometimes during Lent we get so caught up in what we are giving up, sharing with our friends what we will be abstaining from with great pride.  Sometimes, the longer one has been Catholic the more pressure one feels to outdo each other: “well if you are giving up your bed, I am hitching a tent in my backyard and sleeping outside for forty days.”  My dad used to give up drinking during Lent, but every Easter Sunday he would get so wasted along with all his alcoholic buddies.  Giving up something for Lent without prayer or almsgiving doesn’t work because after the forty days the bad habits are again picked up.  Yesterday’s gospel reading reminded us that our motives matter too.  If we fast, pray and give to the poor because we want to impress others we are fooling ourselves and missing the true spirit of the season.  During the Christmas season we worry so much about commercialism and popular culture taking over the real meaning of the season; but during Lent we have to be careful about our personal pride and our need for approval from others.  We need to practice the tree catholic traditions with a humble spirit.  When we feel the cravings for the item we are abstaining it’s a good time reflect on the poor and how they feel great hunger pangs and have nothing to satisfy their hunger.  Then we can pray for them reflecting more personally on their needs.  This will lead us to act and minister to the poor.  We fast, reflect, pray and act in charity.  Perfect worship means we listen to God in prayer and then we act.

40 days 40 Gratitude and Encouragement notes to Priest, Deacons & Religious

Praying the rosary for priests & The Stations of the Cross Fridays.

Lent: Make Room For More of God

Another year- another time to journey from sin to repentance and to redemption.  Since our departure from Eden, God has been trying to restore us to bring us back to Him.  During Lent we as Catholics get to live out this process of restoration more devoutly.  Lent challenges us to leave behind our old selves and to make a journey that will lead us to better versions of ourselves, but more importantly closer to God spiritually.  This Lenten pilgrimage challenges us to dispose of habits and things that keep us from God through fasting and abstinence.  It reminds me of the Oregon Trail migration when pioneers migrated to the western United States.  The challenging conditions of the trail made the settlers travel with only bare necessities; yet, as light as their packing consisted it was very common during the journey to dispose of many possessions to ease the weight and conserve the energy of their horses.  Lent is our own personal Oregon Trail we begin with what we consider bare necessities, but during the course God continues to challenge us to leave behind everything that keeps us from Him.  That’s one of the beauties of Catholicism it challenges to never ending conversion this side of Heaven.  Just when we begin to get comfortable thinking we are becoming holy, God shows us that we are works in progress.  Just recently, God showed me an area of weakness in my person.  He showed me that when someone hurts me instead of turning the other cheek I am usually more likely to retaliate.  I want to defend myself, to justify my position… Can you imagine if Jesus would have retaliated every time someone hurt Him?  There wouldn’t have been an Easter Sunday nor a path to Heaven.  However, He came to restore us to God by any means necessary even suffering on the cross.  In modern times suffering is extremely unpopular, all the media focuses on making us feel good on speaking to our desire for pleasure.  During Lent God challenges us to suffer for a greater good - to fast and abstain when it causes us discomfort and to offer that suffering to Him.  I know that my moments of greatest growth have been also my most painful.  It is when we are hurting that our pride is no longer an issue, when we are truly in grave hurt we have nothing to lose and this nothingness makes us perfect vessels to receive God.  That’s why we want to challenge ourselves to a bit of discomfort during Lent and to purge ourselves of things, and inner baggage to make room for more of Him.  

Today we fast united as one church and it will get uncomfortable, but when we see the big picture, our need to empty ourselves and our lives to become better receptors to the gifts that God wants to bestow - the discomfort will no longer be an issue.  See you in the Eucharist and may this Lent be a period of great conversion (smile)…      

The Guadalajaran Royal Wedding: Part II

After the religious ceremony we headed straight to the reception, which took place at the Hacienda Campestre.  Overall I think the wedding theme was Mexican, which was truly appropriate since it took place in Mexico…  The second celebration continued to have rituals that are typical in Mexican weddings.  Like American weddings we had a Tequila cocktail hour, but dinner is served rather late in Mexico- nine PM is the usual start time.  I sat with the groom’s family and we shared many laughs as we went from being hungry, to thinking there would be no dinner to laughing when we saw the waiters bringing out the dinner rolls. Thus, if you go to Mexico for a party know that dinner is served late - so plan accordingly (smile).  

Before dinner the bride and groom had their first dance, then danced the traditional dance with their parents and opened the dance floor for guests to dance.  The groom and his family are great dancers- in fact, I think that a big factor in the initial wooing process were the hubby’s dance moves which blew Guadalajara away.  Ecuador got down during the cruise so much so that he ripped his pants- which the bride warned the groom not to repeat at the reception (LOL).

Song: Juanes "Para tu Amor"

Dancing with bride's parents.

Dancing with groom's parents.

After dinner the Mexican wedding rituals began with the dance of La Víbora de la Mar.  It’s sort of a game that single men and women participate separately.  The bride and the groom go out to the dance floor and stand on two chairs that stand apart and they hold hands creating an arch.  First the single women are called onto the dance floor they join hands in a train and while music is played they go all over the reception area making sure to pass under the arch of the wedding couple many times.  Music is played and the rhythm gets faster and faster so the speed of the train must also increase- it ends with all the single ladies standing behind the bride’s chair ready to catch the bouquet.  

The couple building the arch.

The dance of La Víbora de la Mar is quite fun, but dangerous on heels so I removed my shoes so that I wouldn’t fall because women are known to fall during this activity which I guess is part of the fun.  Back to my shoe removal- I took my shoes off and participated in the game solely on my tights.  Yet, I didn’t calculate that the floor was tile and quite slippery on tights- no I didn’t fall during the song, but I did fall on my bum after jumping to catch the bouquet.  So embarrassing!  I have never-ever fallen during this ritual- so I got up and gave a vow to the laughing crowd.  You have to options in these cases: cry or laugh- I chose to play the fool.

I fell, but I won the bouquet- it would have been worse if I fell and lost.

Guess am a glass half full kind of gal (smile).

Then comes the money dance.  For a fee you get to dance with the bride and groom…  This is actually a tradition in which friends and family can contribute (if they choose) to help the couple economically.  In Mexican weddings this dance is a must because we are very united folk and we take serving each other extremely seriously.  

 I had to get my money's worth and dance with both.

I forgot to mention that the couple opted for no wedding party and instead involved their family members in the various duties and traditions typical to the madrinas and padrinos.

Bride with her girls (mom & sis).

Groom's family.

After that came the cake cutting,

the toast,

and the wedding ended with an hour of live Mariachi music.  It was such a great celebration am so happy that I was part of it.     

The End...

Of the wedding and the beginning of a marriage...

Part One:The Guadalajaran Royal Wedding

The Guadalajaran Royal Wedding

The reason I traveled to Mexico was to join in the celebration of the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony of my Cruise Angel and her hubby.  Last year Guadalajara met Ecuador on the Ave Maria Singles Cruise and the rest is as they say history.  After disembarking the floating retreat they both knew something special was happening between the two.  Throughout the year they both made the decision to cultivate their relationship becoming great friends, boyfriend and girlfriend, then he proposed in the presence of our Lord at the parish they would marry and a few months later they celebrated their union in company of close friends and family.  When they picked me up from the airport last Wednesday, they shared that ultimately love is a choice and they had both made the choice to love one another.  Sure they are super attracted & admire qualities in each other, but the foundation of their relationship is their mutual choice.  This choice they strengthen with God through prayer, participating in the Sacraments and living a life of faith together.  They made a choice and asked God to help them love one another as He loves.  The distance between the two (New York and Guadalajara) didn’t impede their love from growing.  God gave me the blessing to witness this love story unfold (and to pray for and with them) from the beginning and while I don’t have the rights to speak in detail of their courtship- I do have their permission to speak of their wedding- in fact they asked me to do a two part post!

The couple is a very romantic duo- they chose to get married on a weekday to commemorate the one year anniversary of their first date.  Yes, they are super cheesy and I love it!  Because it was a weekday they were able to reserve the church in which they often met for Mass or prayer before their dates.  It was also the location in which he proposed to her.  El Tempo Expiatorio del Santísimo Sacramento is absolutely beautiful (my favorite in Guadalajara) the altar homes a giant monstrance that holds the Body of Christ and is exposed perpetually.  It has beautiful stained glass windows and neo-Gothic architecture - in my opinion it's more majestic than the Cathedral…

The dress was hand-made by the bride’s mom!  Guadalajara’s mom is a seamstress and has sown the wedding dresses for each of her three daughters.  My friend designed the dress and her mom custom made it along with the long veil.  This wedding had so many sentimental touches – so neat!

The rest of this post will be dedicated to the first celebration- the religious ceremony & part two will focus on the reception.  The Eucharistic celebration had stamps of originality which made it extremely personal and unforgettable.  

 Groom proclaims First Reading.

 Bride proclaims Second Reading.

I had never seen the bride and groom read their selected readings during the Mass, but these two did just that!  He read the first reading, she the second and Psalm 23 was sung beautifully by a choir member.  The priest who was also a friend of the couple gave a very sweet homily.  After the vows, the rituals typical to Mexican weddings took place. 

Beginning with the groom's siblings presenting las arras, they are thirteen gold coins that the couple interchanges as a sign to share and care for their future goods together and also as a sign of abundance in their union.  It’s similar to the throwing rice tradition (which in Mexico is no longer followed because the priests see it as a waste of food and also it’s bad for the pigeons). 

Then the bride’s siblings presented the Bible and rosary as a sign to have God, Mary & prayer actively involved in their marriage and family. 

Finally, the parents of both presented el lazo which resembles a giant number eight (the infinity symbol) and is joined by a cross to symbolize everlasting union with God.  It’s also a sign of their infinite bond with one another, with God and a vow to keep their relationship strong during adversity and face life together courageously. 

After the bride and groom usually present a bouquet of flowers to our Lady of Guadalupe asking for her continual intercession during the marriage.  However, since our Lord is perpetually exposed at this parish - these two left the bouquet at the altar.

This concludes the Mass with the procession of the new Mr. and Mrs., then outside we give hugs and exchange congratulatory sentiments.            

Part II The reception to follow... The Guadalajaran Royal Wedding: Part II