This Sunday I went to mass at the cathedral of Santa Cruz. I
tend to forget how long masses can go for in Bolivia. I didn’t mind it though.
I arrived a bit early and took some time to meditate. When I began to pay
attention again to my surroundings I realized how full the church was. All the
seats where taken (it’s a cathedral so there is a lot of seats) and there was
people standing on every side of the church. Something else I noticed was that
a person was placed at the front of the church announcing what went next and
when to sit down and when to get up. I don’t know if this is everyone’s
experience but in the states people that go to church are catholic and know what
is practiced during a mass. She even told them what to say when they went up to
communion (that anyone who did there first communion should know and anyone how
hasn’t shouldn’t go up at all). I also have notice that parents don’t keep up
with there children’s sacraments. In my prep for first communion class either they
are getting baptized when they have there first communion or there baptism was
a one or two years ago and they are now teenagers. It just seemed to stand out
to me since this a catholic country. Yet the church was full and the mass was
joyous and heartfelt. I think today’s gospel Mark 9 38-43, 45, 47-48 and homily
went right along with what I was thinking. This gospel says Whoever Is Not against Us Is for Us and how Jesus
explains this to John who has questioned it. As Catholic Christians it is our
duty to except all and all of us SLMs as well as the church as a whole. On mission
as we all work with people of all nationalities and creeds we need to remember
that all that are willing need our love and understanding and for us to pave
the road for them to God.
Catedral San Lorenzo
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
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