Misa

With just twenty days left in a Catholic country, I figured it was about time to go to Sunday Mass. They should really start an online review book or guide to misas of Sevilla. There is a church on every corner. You can't miss them, you can't avoid them - they are everywhere. While I'm big on wandering in and out of the churches I pass, I'd never been inside one when anything was actually happening. Never seen a priest orating, a church-goer kneeling, a communion cookie being eaten.

Cathedrals always seem really old. And filled with shiny, old things. Lots of gold, jewels, paintings, Jesi. But to see pews filled with people (without cameras) was a whole new thing. I felt really rude snapping a few shots sans flash but I wanted to make sure I documented the experience well. Joan was a great host (which is also what you call a communion cookie). She had a little booklet that served as a guide to the mass order, all in Spanish. There was lots of "Dios" and "Senor Jesucristo" and "Amen" so I got the general gist of things.

Little girl wipes hand of Mary statue as guests kiss it.
Somewhat unsanitary. Very holy.

Forgive me, Father, for taking this picture.
Sounds and flash were disabled. Le prometo.

One of the key explanations I've been given for what differentiates Catholicism from other types of Christianity is the belief that the wafer for communion is the body of Christ, rather than a representation or symbol of it. So, it was kind of cool to see people go up and get a piece of this blessed cracker and eat it and literally, in their opinion, take in Jesus. After taking communion, most people went to kneel on what I used to think was a foot rest (until my mom corrected me in 6th grade at a confirmation service of a friend). Everyone put their hands with fingers crisscrossed under their chins and seemed very deep in thought. I'm not sure if there's a prayer you're supposed to say or what, but it was very nice to see everyone really thinking about higher powers and such at the same time. It felt to me like the silent part of Shabbat services does, except at this point I was contemplating Jesus and the cookies and usually I'm thinking about chicken soup.

Papa do preach.

Another supergreat part of the service was a point where everyone shakes the hands of those around them and wishes peace upon one another. I think we should do that all the time, but if I start it tomorrow on the way to class, people will think I am a crazy person. From visiting more churches than I can remember to museums full of Jesuspaintings to dressing up as a nun for Halloween to getting a tour of a convent from a nun, this semester has been filled with a lot of Catholicism. Now that I've gone to mass, I'm practically among the masses.


Really, I found it very touching though. And it inspired me to finally look up where churches get the communion wafers. Someone out there is mixing the ingredients? Is there a special ingredient? What takes the cracker from wheat to body of savior of millions of people worldwide? Clearly, I have some more research to do. But I think I've gotten a good start.

Then I went home on the bus, got bored, and took this picture of another bus.