Wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
As much as I hated the school because they were my school's biggest rival, the church I was baptized in and grew up in was the church and parish of the Epiphany in San Francisco. Therefore, it is only fitting that I post on the (traditional day of the) Epiphany and the end of the Christmas season! I remember going to Epiphany as a young child with my family because my grandparents lived (and my grandmother still lives) across the street from Epiphany. The church had a beautiful mosaic behind the altar that depicted Mary and Jesus on top of the world, while Joseph and the three Magi looked in wonder. Today, I too can look with wonder at Jesus and Mary in South Sudan and ask for their guidance the way the three Magi followed the star and St. Don Bosco followed Mary his star.
Christmas time in Gumbo, South Sudan was honestly vey quiet and normal, in the days leading up to Christmas, there was not a lot of movement nor were there a lot of celebrations. In the U.S., we are very much used to seeing decorations everywhere, Christmas carols being sung, movies, television shows and so much festivities in the air. However, here in Gumbo, there was no sign of Christmas. Then all of a sudden, at midnight mass (9pm mass since we try not to keep our parishioners out too late because it gets dangerous at night), during the Gloria, the church got lit up with shouts of joy, laughter, singing, dancing, and festivities! There was light, there were decorations, the carols were sung with great joy, the people were dancing and shouting with joy as the bells were rung! I was so overwhelmed with joy!
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| Preparing the altar of Midnight Mass Christmas Eve! |
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| Almost done in time for Midnight Mass Christmas Eve! |
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| Big turn out for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve! |
That evening, the community of priests, bothers, and volunteers got together and enjoyed each other's company for Christmas. We had snacks and drinks, shared stories, and played games. In many respects, it is similar to what I do at home with my family (we even had panettone or Italian fruit cake after might mass on Christmas, which is a tradition in my family)! When I talked to my mother, she said that although I was away from home this Christmas, I was spending my Christmas with my other family, a family that I am serving this year. Christmas night really showed me what my mother was saying, I was with my other family and I was happy!
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| Group of priests and brothers enjoying each other's company Christmas Eve! |
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| Fellow volunteer and site partner Colleen giving us her thoughts on Christmas Eve! |
On Christmas morning, my fellow volunteer and site partner Michael and I went to the village of Lesutu (one of five village outstations or satellite parishes) to celebrate Christmas mass. I am so pleased to say that the festivities continued in South Sudan! Christmas mass in the village was even louder and more joyful than midnight mass at the parish. There were very few people that attended the mass, but the few, were very loud and their joy was very contagious! They had girls go up in front of the altar and dance while the choir sung carols, and the people all around us joined in dancing and singing! After the mass had ended, the choir kept singing more and more songs because the people requested encores. It got to the point that the choir and the girls who were dancing processed out of the chapel singing and dancing. They continued to sing and dance outside the church in the courtyard! It took a while for us to leave because the greetings and blessings were so numerous! The people in the village were so welcoming, hospitable, and grateful for our company (as we were grateful to have joined them in such a beautiful occasion). As we were leaving, one of the people in our group told me that Lesutu means "Forgotten" in Juba Arabic. I found that with such a name, the village had even more reason to celebrate and be joyful, because with their joy and noise, I found the irony that to me they were anything but "forgotten".
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| Girls dancing in the village during Christmas morning Mass! |
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| The girls also incorporated prayer in their dance (although, in this case, dance is a form of prayer)! |
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| Great turn out in the village during Christmas morning Mass! |
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| The festivities continued after Christmas Mass! |
I was so overwhelmed with joy this Christmas having experience both midnight mass at the parish and morning mass in the village! The fact that leading up to Christmas Day, there was not so much celebration was a big reminder to me that maybe this is the way Christmas should be celebrated. Maybe we should wait until Christ is born to celebrate his arrival. We are quick to start celebrating (or at least buying) Christmas earlier and earlier every year (this year it was in October before I left) without regard that it is actually Advent, and that the Christmas season (the 12 Days of Christmas) only starts on Christmas Day. It is so sad that Christmas festivities in the U.S. stop right when December 25th is over. Yes, there are still decorations after Christmas, but it may be a sign of laziness to bring them down. Either way, I was so inspired by starting Christmas on Christmas Day in South Sudan!
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| Welcome Baby Jesus! |
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| Crib at the church designed by Brothers in formation and Pre-Novices! |
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| Crib at the house, also designed by Brothers in formation and Pre-Novices! |
Like Christmas, the New Year was not celebrated until midnight (9pm) mass! The whole evening on New Year's Eve was very solemn. To prepare ourselves for the New Year, the priests put on a time right before mass for recollection (a form of meditation), adoration, and reconciliation (confession). However, as soon as the mass started, the joy I remembered on midnight mass on Christmas came back! The shouts of joy, the dancing, the singing, and the laughter came as strong as it had ever been! Since it was still during the Christmas season, the carols were still being sung! The people in the crowded church were so excited to start the New Year! I was so blessed to experience such a transformation in atmosphere from very solemn to once again great joy on my birthday (for those of you who don't know, my birthday is on December 31st)!
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| Welcome 2016, Bye 2015! |
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| Very crowded New Year's Eve Mass! |
After mass, Michael and I spent the remainder of the day (year) counting down the minutes until midnight and the official start of the New Year! We reflected on the past year and talked about what we expected out of the upcoming year (not so much having a resolution, but to have hopes for the year). I concluded the year, that for almost all 2015, I applied for the Salesian Lay Missioners program (I actually started writing my application in October 2014, but did not submit until March 2015), and that I finally made it here in South Sudan! The year 2015 was filled with a lot of prayer and discernment that led me to my decision to quit my job and follow my heart! 2015 was a year of sacrifices but also a year of great joy because what I surrounded myself preparing for actually came into fruition! For 2016 my hope is that this year be a year of learning! Now that I am in South Sudan and most likely will be in South Sudan for all of 2016, I hope not just to learn about the people here, but also to learn about myself. My hope is that I continue to pray, I continue to serve, and I continue to understand the world this year!
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| The SLM's in Gumbo, South Sudan wish you and your family a Merry Christmas! (Designed by Michael Gordon) |
I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from South Sudan! May your Christmas and New Year be filled with blessings and joy!
