SUNDAY MORNING IN SAN CRISTOBAL DE LAS CASAS

It's a cold morning in San Cristobal de las Casas. I move quickly out of bed to the sound of roosters. The sun and the surrounding hills are obscured by low-lying clouds. It's 6:40 a.m. by my watch and we, the host parents and myself, agreed the night before that we would go to the local Catholic church for the 7 a.m. Mass.

We can hear the bells of the church ringing as we round the corner to the church of San Jose (Saint Joseph). The interior of the church is something of a surprise -- a lower ceiling than I expected, bright lights and lots of flowers. I think the flowers may be from the feast Dia de la Candelaria on February 2, the presentation of Jesus in the temple. Most of the statues are of Jesus -- Jesus preaching, Jesus carrying his cross, Jesus on the cross attended by Mary and the beloved disciple John. Even the central statue of Joseph has Joseph carrying the baby Jesus. Santo Nino, the holy baby Jesus, is dressed as a baby king. 

As I experienced in the cathedral last Sunday, there are bulletins available with the Scripture readings and prayers. The people follow closely in their bulletins. The priest is a small man whom I guess to be close to 80 years old. The small organ plays too loudly but there is a group of people up front who lead participation in the singing. People from the congregation proclaim the readings.

The homily is on the text that tells us that we should be the light of the world and the salt of the earth. The connection is made with the first reading which is from Isaiah in which we are told to feed the hungry. Jesus is the light of the world, way and the truth. We will be a light to the world if we care for the children on the street, if we feed the hungry. The elderly priest proclaims the gospel of justice again, no doubt a theme repeated by him countless times. We pray for those who are suffering from the cold that has descended on Mexico. 

The priest extends the moment of the elevation of the host, intended as a sacred time. I note that we pray explicitly for deacons in this diocese that is renowned for its large numbers of deacons. Only about half the congregation goes forward for holy communion unlike the Catholic congregations in Canada where almost everyone will come forward.

At home -- mi casa es su casa -- we listen over breakfast to the Bishop's radio program. He points out scriptural passages that support Catholic sacraments. He has an excellent radio voice and I comment to my host that his program seems a response to the challenge of pentecostal evangelical ministry. At the end of the program the Bishop gives us the e-mail, twitter, telephone number, Facebook, and diocesan web-site contact points. The diocese is up to date with the social media in San Cristobal of internet cafes and wi-fi. 

After an extended breakfast I go up to the roof and watch out over the hills and the street. Directly across from our house is Ebenezer Ministries, La Iglesia de Cristo: Fuente de la Esperanza (the Church of Christ: Source of Hope). The music begins and I read about the Maya civilization, Palenque and Chichen Itza, as trumpets sound and Alleluias are shouted and people arrive for the pentecostal service. I check the internet with my Mac and gather that there are 40 churches of Ebenzer ministries in Mexico and that their apostle leaders are originally from Guatemala.

Such is Sunday morning in the ancient colonial city.