Cozumel News April 20, 2014 Easter in Cozumel

Follow me

Easter in Cozumel

Our Cozumel family started our Easter Celebration by worshiping together. Normally, our sister Sharon attends the interdenominational service at Ebenezer Church, my husband Charlie enjoys the peace and quiet by staying home alone, and I, as the Matron of the Family, herd son Bartolo, daughter in law Gelmy, and Grandchildren Julian and Gigi to Corpus Christi Catholic Church.

Bear with me while I give you some background. We used to all attend the English Language Service at Ebenezer together. This year, we felt it was important for Grandson Julian to follow Mexican tradition and study for his First Communion in a Catholic Church. His parents are Catholic, married in a Catholic Church, he was baptized Catholic, and this was the natural order of things. Perfect attendance at the 10 a.m. Children’s service is mandatory for him to be given his first communion on June first. By attending, I am slowly learning the service in Spanish and reliving so many good childhood memories.

Like most Latina girls in my era, I was raised Catholic and knew the Mass by heart in LATIN. The services were beautiful, and so traditional, those rituals went back centuries. When the Catholic Church got rid of the Latin and the services went to English in the United States, I drifted away from the Catholic Church. In my mind, in English, the Catholic Church service was like any other church. As a matter of fact, I ended up putting my Children in Lutheran private Schools and for thirteen years attended a Lutheran Church.

What happens in Mexico in church brings back all the beauty I felt was lost with the ending of the Latin language. Last Sunday, I joined hundreds of my neighbors in a procession to the Palm Sunday Service at Corpus Christi.

In Mexico, during the service, right before they come around to get the offering, people line up and approach the altar bearing offerings of flowers, fruits, chalice, wine, all sorts of things. Entire families approach with their offerings. The Priest accepts the offering and gives a special blessing to the bearers. It is such a beautiful sight that Sunday after Sunday I get tears in my eyes. While I have not mastered any of them yet, the hymns are beautiful, and most intriguing of all, they sing the “Our Father.” It is beautiful in Spanish.

Earlier this week, a friend wrote an article on Cozumel’s passion play. This is a must see while you are in Mexico, as are the Processions held In December for Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mexico’s Patron Saint. If you are a Catholic living or vacationing here, you must not miss this. Friends of different faiths have reported similar experiences at their places of worship. As an example, I have heard “Jesus es Rey” Church has phenomenal dancers in their service, and our own English Service at Ebenezer was in fact held at the beach this morning! My latest advice of things to do in Paradise: Go to Church and check out the Mexican Style!!

After Church we went to breakfast at Fogo Do Brazil. A nice young man stopped the escalator so Charlie could get off and on with ease. Our family of seven (7) enjoyed the the Local breakfast for a total of $406 pesos plus tip! It was delicious, there are a large variety of menu items to chose from, the servings are generous, and the service is consistently excellent!

As always, free entertainment abounds in Cozumel. These two posed and fished for us while we waited for Bartolo to bring the van. Another beautiful day in paradise!