Las Posadas

As a small child visiting with my grandmother in Cholula, Puebla, Christmas meant Posada. Nine nights of reenacting Mary and Joseph’s journey to Bethlehem. The hot wax from the little white candles we held that dripped onto our hands warmed us in the cold crisp night. It seemed to take forever to get to the house that would give the Holy Couple shelter for the night. I would be thinking about the bunuelos and champurrado instead of the spiritual significance of the ceremony. Even though my thoughts were centered on sugared pleasures when I heard

“ Entren, Santos Peregrinos ,
reciban este rincon,
no de esta pobre morada ,
si no de mi corazon”

“Enter Holy Pilgrims,
accept this dwelling;
Not of this humble house,
But of my heart .”

my own heart would fill with excitement and I would be singing at the top of my lungs. These few sentences gave me hope as a child and still give me hope as an adult. No matter if the posada was in Puebla, or East LA or Green Valley Park or in my own neighborhood with friends playing Joseph and Mary those words would illuminate me. The Prince of Peace came as a teacher, a social revolutionary, a lover. He came to the poor and down trodden of his time. He understood we are light bearers of the Divine whether we are a fisherman or a prostitute. He hoped we would open our hearts to the Divine with out limitation. I wish that for all of us in this Season of Light.