This place is dope! The room was well equipped with few treadmills, stationary bikes and some weights, and two large televisions. We chose to watch a bull riding competition, rather than fox news. After Jacuzzi soaking and showers, we went shopping for pillows since we had forgotten them at home.
We were waiting for the evening. We had planned to attend the Mass in Spanish at 7 pm at Mission San Miguel.
We arrived much earlier in hopes to take a look around, but it was raining and dark and everything was closed except the church.
The musicians were practicing and there were a few families sitting on the benches.
The mission is simple but ample, the walls are painted with simple designs recalling marble columns in cobalt color. Behind the altar there is a statue of Archangel San Miguel. Suspended over the altar, there is a panel in the shape of a cloud with sun beams irradiating from a triangle with an eye in the center, symbolizing God and the Trinity.
The priest arrives and the sacred Mass starts. More families have since shown up but not as many as I expected. There are groups of kids, brothers and sisters, young mothers with babies, elder ladies.
A baby girl is teething and she is biting the bench. She cannot walk so she scoots on her bum trying to get away from her mother. Finally she settles down between Mom and older brother. She pulls his ears, and he accepts it patiently. I was quite distracted as the level of cuteness was high.
I understand most of it. The catholic ceremony is the same, the words are the same. I feel happy. It reminds me of when I was little, when I used to go to Mass with my parents and my sisters every Sunday morning.
Despite the cooing, crying and playing of the baby girl in the front row, I can understand most of the sermon.
The priest comes down from the altar among us and starts by turning on the lights of the nativity. Tonight is the night of the Epiphany. The three wise kings are following the comet light. The comet will take place over the manger, where baby Jesus is sleeping between Mary and Joseph. That's when the wise men will know that they have reached their destination and will give their gifts of 'oro', 'incienso' y 'mirra' to the new born king. He talks about the meaning of epiphany. According to the priest, the word epiphany is made of two words, 'epi' as in grand, epic and 'ani' as light. Epiphany means big light. He says that a light may be anybody that you know and trust, and that this person can guide you in your life. It can be your teacher, your mother, your best friends. Even in a moment of difficulty, if we have faith we can find a light to follow that will help us through.
This is why I should go to Mass, for the good word.
We had an awkward moment, when a young girl passed twice to collect offerings. In a world of credit cards, we should have come prepared.
We will go back tomorrow to pay our dues to the church and hopefully see the rest of the mission. Hasta mañana!
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