The Ecclesiology of Las Posadas
by
Patrick Cox
St. Norbert College
De Pere, WI
A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment
of the requirements for the degree
of
Master of Theological Studies
Approved:
_____________________
Thesis Director
_____________________
Reader
_____________________
Reader
© 2007 Patrick J. Cox. All rights reserved.
The author hereby grants to St. Norbert College
permission to reproduce and distribute
publicly paper and electronic copies of this thesis
document in whole or in part.
Table of Contents
I. Thesis Statement 3
II.
Introduction to Las
Posadas
4
III.
Aztec Context and
Augustinian Missionary Impact
6
IV.
Theological Praxis
14
V.
Designing a Contemporary
Las Posadas
23
VI.
Ecclesiology of Las
Posadas
33
A.
Building Church:
Deepening Faith
34
B.
Evangelism: Reaching Out
to Others
36
C.
Sacramental: Returning
to the Liturgy
45
VII.
Conclusion
59
VIII.
Papal Bull
61
IX.
Works Cited
64
X.
Indexes
67
A.
San Jose/OLOS DVDÕs
B.
Audio Study CD
C.
San Augustin Brochure
D.
DirectorÕs Guidebook
E.
ParticipantÕs Copy
F.
Photos
G.
Traditional Recipes
I. Thesis Statement
The universal church benefits from the ecclesiology
and ecclesiological facets of Las Posadas as the ties between Hispanic
culture and the message of salvation are strengthened and extended. The gospel
of Jesus Christ begins with the miracle of incarnation and Christians deepen
their faith through meditation on His birth. In Las Posadas this
meditation includes nine days prior to Christmas and re-presents Joseph and
MaryÕs story before the birth of Christ. The content of Las Posadas is
consistent with the Gospel of LukeÕs account of JesusÕ birth (Luke 2:1-7). In
the 16th Century, this content was used by Spanish Catholic
missionaries to evangelize the Aztec culture in Mexico/New Spain; gradually the
Hispanic tradition of Las Posadas developed as the contemporary Hispanic
culture impacts the United States, more and more Christians are discovering and
participating in Las Posadas. Thus, Las Posadas is a cultural
experience reaching out from an ancient epoch and affecting modern day
spirituality by making the Gospel real and tangible in our time and American
culture.
Las Posadas is also a way to discover Hispanic culture through the
Hispanic ecclesial communion that enhances this liturgical celebration. With
this thesis project, a leader will be prepared with all he or she needs to
create a local tradition of Las Posadas able to strengthen community, deepen faith, refocus the busy
Christmas season back on Jesus, and cultivate many other ecclesial benefits
mentioned in the body of this project. This project will enable a complete
understanding of the celebration through a detailed history and a consideration
of the ecclesial aspects of Las Posadas. Furthermore, it will strengthen oneÕs Christian church
through an outline for the community building activity that empowers
participation in the celebration.
Originally, Las Posadas was created as a
teaching tool for the illiterate. Now that most people are literate, it is used
to build church community and to keep people focused on Jesus during Advent and
Christmas. Since some non-Hispanic Christians may be intimidated by this
Spanish tradition, whether by not knowing about it or understanding the sung
Spanish words, this project offers a full translation of all the sung Spanish,
a music study CD for the participants and a lyric handout for all the
community. Also provided is a master copy for the celebration leaders, and a two-hour
DVD, which shows examples of two different celebrations according to each
churchÕs ecclesiological needs. The leader will be able to see the various
traditions of Las Posadas and
create a new local church tradition.
II. Introduction to Las Posadas
Las Posadas is a fascinating and extremely
popular Hispanic tradition, celebrated in Mexico and the southern United States
all nine days before Christmas. It is said to have originated in Andalucia,
Spain. According to Tradiciones
MŽxicanas by Sebasti‡n Verti:
Este novenario se inici— con las misas de aquinaldo
que los agustinos celebraban en el interior de sus conventos en tiempos de la
Colonia. (157) This novena began with the Christmas gift masses celebrated by
the Augustinians in the interior of their convents in the (Mexican) Colonial
period.
ÒThe traditional Posada song tells the story of
Mary and Joseph. The nightly procession is a way of reliving Mary and JosephÕs
search for shelter (cf. Lk 2:4-7) Posada means Òinn or lodging.Ó (Hermes
4) In practice, each parish
creates their own version of Las Posadas. Some parishes involve the
whole parish community and others have a smaller Las Posadas group.
Smaller groups meet in designated houses, usually three stops per evening
finishing at the third house with dances, traditional refreshments and breaking
of a pi–ata. New MexicoÕs capitol city of Santa Fe participates, as a city, in
a one-night Posadas. ÒToday in Santa Fe, the plaza serves as a stage for
the drama (Las Posadas), which is performed on a single night.
Afterward, hundreds of onlookers enter the courtyard of the Palace of the
Governors for hot chocolate and bizcochitos (anise cookies).Ó (Mather
29)
In our contemporary culture it is easy to get caught
up in the lights, Santa Claus, Christmas shows, shopping, visiting family, and
so on that Christians sometimes lose sight of the reason for the season. Las
Posadas refocuses the Christmas season back on the birth of Jesus. Luke 2:
4-7 states, ÒAnd Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to
Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the
house and family of David, to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was
with child. While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, and
she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and
laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.Ó (NAB) It
is amazing that from this small pericope a rich tradition, which has many
facets of ecclesiology, has been created. In Las Posadas, Christians are
reminded that Jesus, the only Son of God, had very humble beginnings. There was
no lodging in Bethlehem, Joseph and Mary were forced to stay in a stable, like
servants or animals.
Las Posadas is the theatrical introduction and
reproduction of the gospel narrative of JesusÕ birth. The ancient pagan
religion of Mexico provided the original evangelization context; the current
celebration continues to bear the marks of that early celebration. Las
Posadas has a rich history
funneling the human tendency of religiosity from polytheism to monotheism, from
nature worship to the worship of the one creator-God known by the incarnation
of GodÕs only Son, Jesus Christ.
III. Aztec Context and Augustinian Missionary Impact
The ancient Aztec empire dates from 1325 when the
Aztecs left the island called Aztl‡n or Òplace of whitenessÓ, led by Mexi,
their leader. Later the ancient Aztecs
renounced their name and referred to themselves as Mexica after
their leader who brought them to Tenochtitlan. The end of the Aztec
Empire is dated 1521 when the Spanish conquest began. In Tenochtitlan
the Aztecs built a great temple (currently down town Mexico City.) ÒThere they
settled and founded the city in the year 2 calli, which corresponds to the
year 1325 AD in Western chronology.Ó (Castledine 7)
The
Ancient AztecsÕ religiosity included nature as well as superstition. ÒReligion
was one of the essential features of the life of this nation. The Aztec
believed that all beings were given life with a part of sacred material and
that it was vital to establish contact with the supernatural, and this could be
done through rituals.Ó (Castledine 8) The Òsacred materialÓ referred to is
blood. The Aztecs had bloodthirsty gods requiring many thousands of human
sacrifices a year. ÒMoctezuma I had a stone carved with a hollow in the
center. This, known as the cuauhxicalli, was used as a container for the
hearts of those sacrificed.Ó (Castledine 9) The great temple in Tonochtitlan,
a site of human sacrifice, was a symbol of the center of the universe where
heaven, earth, and the underworld met.
Hijo del emperador Axay‡catl, ocup— el trono mexica
despuŽs de la muerte, en 1502, de su t’o, el emperador Ahuizotl. Moctezuma era
un gobernante muy religioso; habia sido sumo sacerdote antes de ocupar el
trono. (Paname–o 8) The son of emperor Axay‡catl, occupied the Mexica
throne after the death of his uncle, in 1502, the emperor Ahuizotl. Moctezuma was a religious
governor; there hadnÕt been many priests before that occupied the throne.
The great temple was dedicated to two of their
greatest gods, Tl‡loc, god of rain and fertility and Huitzilopochtli,
god of war, who was the most important god. As well as human sacrifice to the
ancient gods, there is mention of cannibalism, although this was exaggerated in post-colonial writing.
Ahora correspond’a al hombre fortalecer el fr‡gil
orden c—smico, ofreciendo su sangre. Por eso los ind’genas se empe–aban en
capturar al enemigo pare el sacreficio---que en n‡huatl significa Òdar de comer
a los diosesÓ---en vez de matarlo en el campo de batalla. (Urrutia 242) Today
this corresponds to a man strengthening the fragile cosmic order by the
offering of his blood. The indigenous were obligated to capture and sacrifice
their enemies signifying, in n‡huatl, giving food to the gods instead of killing them in
battle.
Comer carne humana era un rito reservado a unos cuantos, para fortalecerse con lo sagrado a travŽs del cuerpo del sacrificado, en momentos muy especiales. (Urrutia 243) Eating human meat was a rite reserved for some, to strengthen bonds with the sacred through the sacrificed body, on special occasions.
When the Augustinian and Franciscan missionaries
arrived in Mexico/New Spain from Spain, they likely knew some form of Las
Posadas predating the papal bull dated August 5, 1586. Unfortunately, an
investigation of pre-Mexican Las Posadas celebrations in Europe is
beyond the scope of this paper. It is important to note that: ÒLas Posadas
began more than four hundred years ago in Spain. Priests wanted to teach the
people about the Bible. However, at that time, most people could neither read
nor write. The priests found that the best way to help them learn the Bible
stories was to act the stories out.Ó (Hoyt-Goldsmith 16) Originally Las
Posadas was created as a teaching tool for the illiterate Catholics.
Spanish popular style music was also familiar to the missionaries in Mexico/
New Spain. ÒFranciscans arrived with a religion whose ceremonies included a
copious amount of villancicos.Ó (Pellicer 22) Villancicos were
the SpaniardÕs version of popular music mixed with religious themes. These
songs were sung at Christmas and are the Spanish equivalent of English
Christmas Carols. The greatest collection of these villancicos is by
Juana Ines de la Cruz and is 628 pages in length. The music style of Las
Posadas may be considered a villancico.
It was the Augustinian missionaries from Spain who
decided to evangelize the Aztec natives through the ingenious use of Las
Posadas. Part of their initial success came from the coincidence of the
Aztecs celebrating the birth of their war god, Huitzilopochtli at the
same time as the Christian celebration of Christmas.
El investigador Germ‡n Andrade Labastida sostiene que
las posadas nacieron en el peque–o pueblo de San Agust’n Acolman, es decir,
casi a la sombra de las pir‡mides de Teotihuac‡n, lugar sagrado de nuestros
antepasados in’genas. Asienta que: Òlos aztecas celebraban con toda pompa el
nacimiento de HuitzilopochtliÓ. Y, segœn afirma el doctor De la Cerna, esta
ceremonia era precisamente en la epoca de la Navidad, por la noche y al dia
siguiente hab’a fiesta en todas las casas, donde se obsequiaba a los invitados
con suculenta comida y unas estatuas o idolos peque–os hechos con una pasta comestible
llamada tzoatl, preparadas con maiz azul, tostado y molido, y mezclado con miel
negra de maguey. (Verti, Libro 61)The investigator German Andrade Labastida
maintains that Las Posadas was born in the small village of San Agustin
Acolman, it is said to be almost in the shadow of the Teotihuacan pyramids, the
sacred place of our indigenous ancestors. The Aztecs celebrate with enthusiasm
the birth of Huitzilopochtli. (Huitzilopochtli was the Aztec god
of war, the most important. His name signifies the Southern hummingbird,
sinister hummingbird or left-handed hummingbird) According to Dr. De la Cerna,
this ceremony was precisely at the time of the Nativity; by night and the
following day they had parties in all the houses. They presented those invited
with a succulent meal, statues and small idols made with edible pasta called tzoatl,
prepared from toasted blue corn, toasted and mixed with black honey from
Maguey.
The Las
Posadas celebration was very similar to the ancient Aztec celebration with
its succulent food, carved figures or Santos (of baby Jesus, Joseph and
Mary) and home based celebration. The Augustinian missionaries incorporated the
enthusiasm of the ancient Aztec celebration with the teachings of Christianity
to create a new teaching tool called Las Posadas.
Further study demonstrates a possible reason for the
transition from the celebration of novena, Misas de Aguinaldo to Las Posadas.
Éque en varias Iglesias de esta Capital y Arzobispado
con motivo de las Misas de Aguinaldo y las de nochebuena o del Gallo, se
cometen los mayores des—rdenes, irreberencias y aun profanaciones al
tiempo de celebrar el tremendo y
m‡s Augusto Sacrificio de la Misa, y
por que durante a ella se tocan pitos, tamborcitos y sonajas por los
ni–os y otros que precindiendo del respeto debido al Santuario, se descomiden con tal bullicio y
vocer’a como si estubieran en la Plaza para cojer los dulces y frutas que en algunas partes les
tiran desde los corosÉEste costumbre de arrojar fruta desde el coro de algunas de las iglesias, que
fuŽ abolida por los consiguientes abusos, di— origen al uso de las pi–atas, que
hoy constituyen el encanto de la ni–ez. (Sanchez
237)Évarious churches of this Capital and the Archbishop were motivated to
celebrate the Christmas gift masses and the Christmas Eve mass. Locals were
celebrating in a very disorderly, irresponsible and profane way at a time when
they should be celebrating the tremendous sacrifice of the mass. They took
whistles, tambourines and noisemakers and gave them to the kids instead of
respecting the Sanctuary and were excessively noisy and shouting as if in the
Plaza outside. Also, they threw candies and fruit from some parts of the chorus
and in some churches it was banned for the consequential abusesÉThis custom of
throwing fruit from the chorus was the origin of [the use of] pi–atas,
which enchant the children today.
This article was written in 1796 and demonstrates that
within 210 years of the 1586 papal bull the tradition had changed. The people
had enthusiastically embraced the Misas de Aguinaldo to the point of
profanity, defiling the sanctity of the church and the solemnity of the season.
This may be the reason why Misas de Aguinaldo no longer was performed
and Las Posadas was celebrated outside of the church. Over time, Las
Posadas has become a more solemn and prayerful affair.
Other factors strengthen the effectiveness of Las
Posadas in Mexico/New Spain; some references tie Our Lady of Guadalupe
into Las Posadas. The feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe is on
December 12th, which is only four days before Las Posadas
begins and also temporally associated with the Aztec holy days.
Sin embargo, puede imaginarse que –como sucedi—
con la festividad de la Virgen de
Guadalupe – esta celebraci—n tal vez coincidi— con alguna de los
antiguos habitantes del An‡huac,
pues s—lo as’ se explicar’a el arraigo extraordinario, excepcional, que estas
fiestas lograron en nuestro puebloÉ (Verti, Tradiciones 158) None the
less as you can imagine—as with the success of the festival of the Virgin
of Guadalupe --- this celebration coincides with some of the ancient
inhabitants of An‡huac (near Mexico City), which explains the
extraordinary growth that these festivals have gained in our villageÉ
An independent study shows that the shrine of Our Lady
of Guadalupe in Tepeyac, outside of Mexico City is unknown to
some non-Hispanics. Little do they realize that there is a national shrine to
Our Lady on the level of Lourdes and Fatima in the Americas. This shrine has
created more converts to Catholicism than any other shrine. Ò5,000,000
Catholics were lost to the Church owing to the Reformation in Europe at this
time, but their numbers were more than replaced in a few years by over
9,000,000 Aztec converts.Ó (Toribio 2cc.3b) ÒSome priests had to bestow the
Sacrament of Baptism six thousand times in a single day. One of them, a Father
Toribio, recorded: ÔHad I not witnessed it with my own eyes, I should have to
affirm that at the convent of Quecholac, another priest and myself
baptized fourteen thousand two hundred souls in five days.ÕÓ (Johnston 57)
There was a massive conversion to Catholicism after the visions of Our Lady of Guadalupe
by Juan Diego in 1531.
Las
Posadas, which was created in
the late 16th century, continued this conversion experience and
further deepened the faith of all these new Central American converts. Of note,
modern scholars argue that in Juan DiegoÕs native tongue, Nahuatl, there
are no letters for D or G, so Nuesta Se–ora de Guadalupe (Our Lady of
Guadalupe) is most likely a bad translation and should be Santa Maria Te
Quatlasupe. ÒHis conclusion (Professor D. Mariano Jacabo Rozas, head of the
department of Nahuatl in the Nations Museum of Archeology) was that the
Virgin used the word Coatlaxopeuh, which means Òshe who breaks, stamps
or crushes the serpentÉÓ (Johnston 47) Theologically this makes sense, as
Christians read in Gen. 3:14,15 ÒThen the Lord God said to the serpent:
ÔBecause you have done this, you shall be banned from all the animals and from
all the wild creatures; On your belly shall you crawl, and dirt shall you eat
all the days of your life. I will put enmity between you and the woman, and
between your offspring and hers; He will strike at your head, while you strike
at his heel.ÕÓ (NAB) In Las Posadas the child playing Mary is frequently
dressed in blue. This blue color is a symbol, to Hispanic Catholics in
particular, of the Virgin of Guadalupe.
Las Posadas is the community acting as
theologians through tradition. ÒMore recent research into oral traditions indicated
that it is individuals capturing the spirit of those communities who do the
actual shaping.Ó (Schreiter 17) The Augustinian missionaries were highly
skilled artisans of their time. I visited the birthplace of Las Posadas, at the San Agust’n mission in Acolman outside
of MŽxico City. When I looked at the level of artistry that is still shown on
the remaining frescos in the mission, as well as the art that was created, I
realized the level of artistic sophistication that these missionaries had. These
missionaries were first rate artists who were extremely intelligent and
classically trained. However, they were also sensitive to the Aztecs and their
needs. They did not arrive from Andaluc’a Spain and totally ignor the
Aztec culture and belief systems. For example, the Aztecs were uncomfortable
with the worship settings in the mission church; I noticed on visiting the
mission that an altar was constructed facing outside to the courtyard so mass
could be celebrated outside as the Aztecs sat in the courtyard. On the other
hand, the Aztecs also captured the spirit of Christianity and incorporated it
into their culture through Las Posadas, which replaced the celebration of the birth of their
pagan sun god, Huitzilopochtli. ÒIt takes the dynamic interaction of all
three of these roots---gospel, church, culture---with all they entail about
identity and change, to have the makings of local theology.Ó (Schreiter 21)
Contemporarily in Las Posadas, the Gospel, Church, and culture
continue to relate and dynamically shape each parish (or community-wide)
celebration.
Understanding the extended roots of Las Posadas
creates a broad foundation for the leader of the celebration. This will help
the leader analyze his or her ecclesial needs and help create a fulfilling experience
for the participants. The leader is warned of the potential excesses to be
avoided. The celebration leader is able to learn from the history of the
celebration and to build a strong evangelization tool for the future.
My experience of leading Las Posadas began
several years ago when I was asked by Fr. Guy Roberts to start a parish
tradition of Las Posadas for the newest parish in the Archdiocese of
Santa Fe, New Mexico. As a mission priest in northern New Mexico, Fr. Roberts
witnessed the power of Las Posadas in building community and wanted to
bring this tradition to the new parish, the Church of the Incarnation in Rio
Rancho, New Mexico. Through a careful analysis of the ecclesial needs of this
new parish in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe, we discerned that the celebration
would start the first Sunday within the novena (nine days before
Christmas) after the 4:00 PM mass and travel to two designated houses down the
street from the Church of the Incarnation. The celebration was initiated in the
church after mass. A designated girl would be dressed as Mary in a traditional
blue, Virgen de Guadalupe, costume and Joseph would be in a brown
shepherdÕs costume. Thus, we created our new tradition using some of the
elements of Las Posadas.
IV. Theological
Praxis
Las Posadas falls in the category of religiosidad
popular or popular religion.
ÒBut already the point is raised that ecclesiology is going to be one of the
major issues in the developing of local theologies---prominent as hermeneutics,
modes of cultural analysis, and Christology.Ó (Schreiter 38) The pyramids and
homes were the ancient ÒchurchesÓ of the Aztecs. Some aspects of Aztec popular
religion carried over to the Christian celebrations. First, Las Posadas
was celebrated in homes and the mass was celebrated in open air according to
Aztec religious practices. Second, celebrating the birth of Christ is
ironically and fortunately celebrated at the same time as the birth of the sun
god, Huitzilopochtli. Last, Juan DiegoÕs visions and signs at Tepeyac
further bolstered popular religion and created a massive conversion to
Catholicism.
The ancient Aztec rulers were oppressive. Although the
Aztecs were an agrarian society, they were advanced in some respects but
backward in others. ÒThey were ignorant of the physical laws that had been
demonstrated by the Greeks some 2,000 years earlier. Their mathematicians had
no knowledge of experimental science. Nor were they familiar with the wheel,
animal traction, or the vaulted arch.Ó (Johnston 11) Perhaps the ancient Aztec
lack of scientific knowledge made them superstitious and created their zeal to
please the gods through blood sacrifice.
ÒThe experience of the development of the kind of theology, especially in liberation models, has prompted others to define theology as the emancipatory praxis freeing an oppressed people. Theology then become more than words; it becomes also a pedagogical process liberating consciousness and inciting to action.Ó (Schreiter 17) As a terrorized and oppressed population, the Aztec people needed Òemancipatory praxis.Ó Moreover, many natives were subjugated and incorporated unwillingly into the Aztec Empire. So, out of the ten million Aztecs that accounted for the Aztec Empire many desired to escape the bloodthirsty gods and enjoy the gift that the one true God had given through the death and resurrection of His only begotten Son. ÒThe Christian message, after all, is about change: repentance, salvation, and an eschatological reality to be realized. To think that Christianity will not change a situation is to rob the Christian message of its most important part.Ó (Schreiter 29) Christianity did change the face of the ancient Mexican population as well as the contemporary culture. Today, the majority of Mexicans are practicing Catholics. Popular religion, such as Las Posadas, bridges the gap from the old cultural heritage to the new.
Las Posadas is a spiritually intense experience
lasting nine days before Christmas that was refined by Hispanic Catholics who
yearned for a deeper and more intense religious experience to celebrate the
birth of GodÕs only Son. The deep faith of the Hispanics of North America
includes the capacity to connect with religious signs. Semiotics, the study of
signs, thus played an important part in the development of Las Posadas. "It allows
study of the so-called high cultural elements (art, poetry, music, religious
belief) and the so-called popular elements (customs, superstitions), and other
elements of the cultural systems (social organization, economic and political organization)
in a way that allows them to be seen as interlocking and interdependent.Ó
(Schreiter 52) For
example, two signs integral to Las Posadas are the collection for the
poor and the koinonia at the reception. Even the pi–ata has deep
semiotics by symbolizing the breaking of sins. The procession signifies a
search in the darkness for a glimmer of light and hope while the music fills
that darkness with sung prayer.
ÒCentral to the Christian experience of God is the
experience of salvation. And salvation means a deep and powerful change
involving a rescue from evil and ill and deliverance into a new reality. To
describe adequately experiences of salvation in a culture, to be able to locate
culture texts relating to ill, evil and salvation, one needs to have ways of
describing the process of transformative change.Ó (Schreiter 70) The Aztecs
needed a social change and ChristÕs salvation was a new concept to them. The
missionaries who arrived on the heels of Cortez did not successfully relay this
new concept until Juan Diego had his vision at Tepeyac.
ÒSixteenth-century Mexicans could identify the Virgin of Guadalupe with an
older, already known goddess whose temple had been on the same site as
GuadalupeÕs apparition.Ó (Schreiter 71) Social change was being created through
semiotic change. As the old mother became the new mother and the ancient Aztec
could relate to her. Thus, millions flocked to the new religion.
ÒIn
sixteenth-century Spain the number of shrines to Mary outnumbered the shrines
to Jesus by a ratio of two to one.Ó (Christian 147) Thus, the Augustinian
missionaries from Andaluc’a, Spain arrived with a deep devotion to Mary.
When Juan DiegoÕs vision was added to the mix, a Òcult of Mary,Ó developed that
is still very strong today. Popular Hispanic religion has a deep devotion to
the Mother of God. Many choose Mary as an intercessor to God. This is not a bad
thing but one must put this in perspective; the mystery of the Holy Trinity is
in first place and everything and everybody follows, including the Mother of
God. I advise the leader of a Las Posadas to exercise caution so as not
to overdo the devotion to Joseph and Mary.
There has been resurgence in popular religion and a
newfound interest in these forms of devotions. ÒFor a long time popular
religion was by and large denigrated by theologians as a way of expressing
faith that needed to be overcome sooner or later by a more sophisticated
understanding of the gospel. Devotions, processions, pious associations, and
places of pilgrimage seemed to many religious leaders to be realities that
would pass away with liturgical renewal and a more Word-centered spirituality.Ó
(Schreiter 122) However, the early Latin American Liberation Theologians realized that popular religious
expressions were the voice and spirit of the common worshiper. The soul was expressing itself in these
devotions. The modern day Latin Americans are, as were as the ancient Aztecs, a
deeply devotional and religious people. The setting of the Hispanic popular
religious experience is tightly woven into the fabric of life. Their
religiosity is beyond the church boundaries. In contemporary Latin America,
many homes have altaritos or little altars for private daily
devotionals, adorned with Santos and icons of the Saints and Jesus.
Manuel Marzal and Segundo Galilea summarize the
characteristics of Latin American popular religion in Religiosidad Popular.
Many of these characteristics aptly describe or apply to Las Posadas.
á There is an emphasis on Mary and Joseph (particularly
Mary) as a benevolent mediator with God. The devotion of Las Posadas is
atonement for the harsh treatment that Mary and Joseph received, as Mary was
about to deliver Jesus. This is associated with the harsh treatment that many
immigrants receive.
á The spirituality is personal. In the final Posada,
at Christmas Eve, the procession asks for passage and the Church (unlike the
inns that were full) welcomes Mary and Joseph personally into their hearts as
well as Òthis corner.Ó Jesus is then placed in the manger and the Christmas Eve
mass begins.
á The event is rich in symbolism and softens the harsh
reality that is portrayed in the Bible and is experienced by the poor,
especially the immigrant poor of contemporary society.
á The event involves all segments of society; children,
youth, families, the elderly, and the poor who are incorporated into Las
Posadas.
á There is artistic license in this experience, which
creates a satisfying conclusion.
áLas Posadas is a devotional activity that seeks
favor for the upcoming year. This is unspoken, but one feels that by having an
intense nine days of devotion leading into Christmas that the following year
will be blessed with bounty, health and answered prayers.
á The devotion is lay in character. This devotion may
have a priest involved, especially when Las Posadas concludes at the
church on Christmas Eve, but is not absolutely necessary. The lay are
exercising their Baptismal rite as priest.
The lay also are empowered to express their deep
religiosity through their devotion and popular religious experience. I have
personally experienced the power of Las Posadas and all it has to offer
as a popular religious experience. It is very empowering, creative, fulfilling
and filled with countless blessings. ÒKarl Rahner holds that alongside all
these variegated psychological and social relations lies a deep-seated need for
completion and salvation to be found only in God.Ó (Rahner, Hearers 214) As
testified by the popularity of Las Posadas, the Latin Americans will do
as much as possible to ask God for favor and honor GodÕs Son with their
devotion.
The essential aspects of tradition in Robert J.
SchrieterÕs Constructing Local Theologies are credibility,
intelligibility, authority, affirmation and renewal. As a congregation experiences
Las Posadas, these criteria are significant. The credibility and
authority come from the Biblical pericope regarding Joseph and MaryÕs search
for lodging, as well as the continual tradition of the past 500 years. The
intelligibility of creating a new tradition of Las Posadas presents a
challenge because there are many non-Hispanics unfamiliar with Las Posadas
who neither speak nor understand Spanish, thus the need to translate the Las
Posadas text. Equipped with a good translation and adequate explanations in
English, more people will be able to fully understand, enjoy and participate in
the Las Posadas experience.
The English translation provided in this project will provide parishes
that may not have experienced Las Posadas with the tools to express their
local theology in a rich, new way.
The spirituality of Las Posadas affirms and
answers a cry and yearning of the soul. Pope Paul VI acknowledges in Evangelii
Nuntiandi, # 48, that these expressions were for a long time regarded as
less pure and were sometimes despised, but today they are almost everywhere
being rediscovered. According to Maldonado, Òhe calls for the Ôproper attitude
in regard to this reality, which is at the same time so rich and so
vulnerable.ÕÓ (Maldonado 5) Las Posadas reiterates the salvific power of
God through allowing his only begotten Son to be born in humble circumstances
and sacrificed for our sins. ÒFor this reason, with real justification, Segundo
Galilea has suggested that we see popular religion as a spirituality.Ó (Galilea
49). It is Holy Spirit driven and whether it seeks a prosperous New Year or
answered prayers it is none the less spiritual.
Lay people power their local theology. ÒTheology is
done locally. In order to be honest to the local circumstances theology has to
be done as local theology, as theology that takes the particular situation
seriously. Local theology can be done with basic theological means. It can be
done by the people, and it is done with the people.Ó (Sedmak 3) Las Posadas is a locally created
theological celebration influenced by the local flavor of an individual parish.
In the process of creating and offering Las Posadas there is renewal,
the last of SchrieterÕs essential aspects of a tradition.
I have experienced many different versions of Las
Posadas, yet the basic structure is obvious through the many variations and
adaptations. One example of this is in the video: La Gran Posada: A
Christmas Celebration. Here the viewer sees the Cathedral in San AntonioÕs
version of Las Posadas. Geographically, San Antonio, Texas is very close
to Mexico so immigration and the resulting issues flavor their tradition.
Another example of this is Our Lady of Sorrows church in Bernalillo, New
Mexico. The Bernalillo Las Posadas celebration is heavily influenced by their Comanchitos (little Comanches) dance [please refer to Our Lady of
Sorrows DVD]. Although there is mention of dances in Mexico after the
celebration the dance steps and details of what they would look like such as
costumes, choreography, and staging have been lost. As far as I have been able
to research, the Comanchitos dance
is unique to Bernalillo, New Mexico. It is a memorial dance commemorating the
kidnapped children who were accosted by the Comanche and either sold as slaves
or used as slaves in Comanche villages. In Bernalillo, the litany
is spoken to the Christ child in Spanish. Also in Bernalillo, the carols
are in Spanish and accompanied by guitar and keyboard. Last, they do not break
a pi–ata. In contrast, San Jose Mission Church in Algodones, New Mexico,
which is less than five miles away from Bernalillo, chanted the litany in Latin
to the Virgin Mary. Furthermore, the participants sang the Christmas carols in
English acapella or unaccompanied by instruments. San Jose Mission had
no Comanchitos dance but did have a pi–ata for the children. Each
tradition fulfilled the ecclesial needs of the parish and manifested the local
flavor of each parish.
Currently in the United States there exists a wonderful opportunity to use Las Posadas as a tool to celebrate cultural diversity and to discover common ground. According to a CNN Internet article entitled Hispanic Population Booms in the United States, ÒThe countryÕs Hispanic population mushroomed by 58 percent from 1990 to 2000, making it the fastest growing minority group and underscoring Ôthe changing diversity of the United States,Õ the U.S. Census Bureau reported this week.Ó (CNN 1) Herein lies the value of non-Hispanic churches use of Las Posadas to enrich the changing community and embrace the emerging diversity. ÒDoing theology is a way of following Jesus. We follow Jesus as a community of believers, a community built on a tradition. In order to do local theology we have to reappropriate the tradition of our community.Ó (Sedmak 43)
Some Christians take the opportunity in Las Posadas
to practice a local Liberation Theology reflection. This became particularly
apparent to me in Eduardo Pinz—n-Uma–aÕs book En Nombre de Dios Pedimos
Posada.
En las nueve noches antes de Navidad, aunque falte el
sacerdote, la comunidad hispana recuerda su historia y se identifica con
millions de exiliados, marginados y segregados, con hambre y sin techo, que
batallan fuera de su patria buscando Posadas como JosŽ y Mar’a de paso por
BelŽn. (Pinz—n-Uma–a 22) Although without a priest, during the nine nights
before Christmas the Hispanic community remembers their history and identifies
with the millions of marginalized, segregated exiles that are hungry, without a
roof over their head or fighting outside of the homeland, similar to what
Joseph and Mary experienced in their journey to Bethlehem looking for an
Inn.
This is not a difficult situation to understand when
one realizes that America is a land full of immigrants and descendants of
immigrants. So, one does not have to look far into personal history to find a
family member struggling as an immigrant seeking opportunities and a better
life in America. I look at my mother who emigrated from Germany. She was
widowed in her early twenties after immigrating to America. My father died in
Viet Nam and she was left to raise two small children in a strange new place.
She had to struggle for an ÒInnÓ just like Joseph and Mary. Though the journey
was difficult, my family survived and flourished. She created a relatively
comfortable life for herself and helped my brother and me along the way. She
now has five loving grandchildren and a husband of nearly 40 years marriage.
It is spiritually important to reflect on the origins
of modern-day Americans. This reflection brings an appreciation of the
blessings received from God. It also inspires generosity, as individuals
realize that, not too long ago, they were in a similar situation. Everyone
deserves a life of opportunities for fruitfulness. America is the richest
nation on the earth and many live well, even in the middle class. Americans,
especially American Christians, have the opportunity to spread the wealth to
neighbors locally and globally. American Christians can help others experience
the bounty that God has bestowed upon their land. Finally, American Christians
can affect modern day spirituality through Las Posadas by making the
Gospel real and tangible in our time through popular religion and ecclesial
communion.
V. Designing a Contemporary Las
Posadas
Creating a team of people to help with the Las
Posadas celebration is crucial. It would be impossible for one person to do
everything. Please refer to the Las Posadas flow chart on the following
page. As you can see, there are many different tasks that go into making a
successful celebration. The planning team will help the celebration leader
discern the ecclesial needs of your specific church. Each church has different
needs and it is important to create your own churchÕs celebration. The DVD,
study CD, and music tab in this project are tools that you can use as a
foundation for your own celebration. Las Posadas encourages artistic
license tailored to your churchÕs needs. For example, maybe your church doesnÕt
want to deal with a live donkey; then, process without one. Your reception
could be simple with cookies and punch. You may not have access to a pi–ata or
want to deal with the mess afterward. Remember, this is an event for your
community; design a Las Posadas that ÒfitsÓ your context.
The most important aspects of Las Posadas are
the prayers, the litany, and the music. There is artistic license within these
elements as well, but care should be taken to not completely obliterate the
form. Some participants that have grown up with Las Posadas will have
some expectations of the celebration. These people, once identified, would make
excellent team members or consultants to the team. The more people you have on
the team, the easier it will be to create a successful celebration and the less
stressed you, as the leader, will be. Remember that Christmastime is a very
stressful season and putting on a Las Posadas may add to this stress
level. Create a team that works by each individual sharing the responsibility
for a single facet of the whole celebration. This will ensure a cooperative
environment and the ability to not only enjoy the celebration yourself, but
build church with this wonderful evangelization tool.
B. Las
Posadas Flow Chart with timeline
Dec. 16-24 á
Las Posadas begins at dusk each night á
Dec. 24 flows directly into the Vigil Mass
As you can see, there is a lot of preparation that
goes into creating a successful Las Posadas. Costumes need to be made.
Translations need to be printed so that everyone can understand what is
happening. The church needs to be decorated. The manger scene needs to be put
up. Rehearsals need to take place so that everyone can participate fully in the
celebration. Mary travels by donkey from house to house, so a donkey is rented
and coordinated. Traditional food has to be prepared and a potluck coordinated.
The traditional food includes Posole, Tamales, Biscochitos
and Natillas. Hot cider, hot chocolate and coffee are made to drink.
Last, after the reception a pi–ata is traditionally broken. Someone
needs to buy the pi–ata. But by creating a flow chart, these many
details are manageable.
One element of Las Posadas deserves special attention. The pi–ata is a symbolically rich tool that appeals to all ages; I highly recommend using it in your celebration. In New Mexico, there is a little discrimination against using the pi–ata because it is seen as a Mexican tradition; however it also provides an educational tool. By introducing the participants to the global phenomenon of pi–atas, prejudice may be reduced. Here are the background notes.
Del verbo api–ar, atar, juntar, el nombre pi–ata se
deriva de la palabra pi–a fruta que simboliza este juguete, aunque con el
tiempo se busc— imitar animales y otros frutos, as’ como la imaginaci—n pudo
concebir La pingnata italiana estuvo presente desde las primeras navidades
novohispanas. (Verti, Tradiciones 172) From the verb to press or squeeze, to
tie or to join, the name pi–ata is
derived from the pineapple fruit that symbolizes this toy, although with time
we have discovered imitation of animals and other fruits, thus the imagination
can conceive the Italian pingnata had presented since the first new
Hispanic ChristmasÕ.
The pi–ata signifies the Òdeadly sinsÓ which
are broken with a stick. The pi–ata is used as a childrenÕs teaching
tool for overcoming sin and temptation.
Once these deadly sins are broken, the reward is sweet. The pi–ata
is filled with candy and toys for the children. The pi–ata comes in many shapes and sizes, but the
traditional shape for Las Posadas is a star with streamers at the end of
each point. The pi–ata has
a rich history of its own with origins traced to China through Europe. Now, it
is a huge industry in Mexico with some pi–atas being considered Òworks
of artÓ that are not made to be broken.
Research shows that at Our Lady of Sorrows Catholic
Church in Bernalillo, New Mexico, there was never a pi–ata broken at the Las
Posadas celebrations. I inquired why this was omitted and was informed by a
deacon (not affiliated with Our Lady of Sorrows) that the pi–ata is a Mexican
celebration. He explained that since the Hispanics of Northern New Mexicans are
of Spanish descent, they do not celebrate the Mexican way. Yet, if we look at this religious symbol historically
and globally, we find that this does not have to be the case.
A principios del siglo XVI, cuando acaba de descubrirse
AmŽrica, los bailes de pi–ata eran muy populares en toda Espa–a; pero en
AmŽrica, por supuesto, se desconoc’a esta costumbre. (Fernadez 112) In the
beginning of the 16th Century, when the Americas were being
discovered, the pi–ata dances were very popular in all of Spain; but in
America, certainly, this custom was unrecognized.
There is an unrecognized fear in the New Mexican local culture of associating with a Mexican celebration. Because the local New Mexican culture stresses their European Spanish roots so as not to be associated with the Mexican population (legal and illegal residents), the pi–ata has been shunned as a Mexican celebratory implement so as not to create any confusion over identity. This demonstrates, of course, ignorance of the history of the pi–ata as well as a local cultural bias or racism (the fear of being allied with an unwanted minority: Mexicans.) Thus, the pi–ata is a very good teaching tool, rich in symbolism and appropriate to the current cultural setting in America.
The
music of Las Posadas should also be considered thoughtfully. During my research
I also discovered that there is no official Las Posadas music. I uncovered at least two very different
versions of the Las Posadas music. Las Posadas, An Hispanic Christmas
Celebration by Diane Hoyt-Goldsmith has an example of the music that is
performed at the Santa Fe, New Mexico plaza (central town park) Las
Posadas. The music in Hoyt-GoldsmithÕs book is simpler and more repetitive
than the version that I have used with Church of the Incarnation and San Jose
Mission [please refer to DirectorÕs guidebook index]. The version that I used
came from St. Bernadette Parish in Albuquerque, New Mexico uses. It is
unpublished with no reference to its source. I surmise that since there is no
official version of Las Posadas, each community performs their own
version of the music. The function, however, is the same. There is an inside
musical ensemble, which sings the role of the innkeeper (sometimes, played as
the devil or a caricature dressed in red with horns and a white face.) The
outside musical ensemble is the peregrinos
or pilgrims that are imploring with Mary and Joseph for lodging. The songs
offer the dialogue between these two groups with the pilgrims imploring and the
innkeeper refusing. This is enacted three times, the peregrinos are
turned away each time, so they continue the procession as they search for
lodging elsewhere. The third time, the peregrinos are welcomed in; and
they stand around the manger or nacimiento to sing a Christmas carol such as, ÒSilent Night.Ó The
reception follows with a breaking of the pi–atas. At Church of the Incarnation and San
Jose mission church, we sang Christmas carols acapella [unaccompanied]
in between houses [please refer to San Jose Mission DVD index]. Also, we sang
in both English and Spanish so everyone could participate and understand the
events described by the music [please refer to participantÕs copy index].
Another
element to consider in planning is the use of the religious statues in the
procession. The Las Posadas celebration usually uses traveling Santos
or small religious statues. Las
Posadas, A Bilingual Celebration for Christmas states, ÒProvide small
statues of Mary and Joseph to be carried in the procession. Two candle-bearers,
usually dressed as angels, can accompany them throughout the journey."
(Hermes 6) At the Church of the Incarnation, the Posadas leaders set up
a manger scene by the altar in the church. The third house was the church and
Mary carried the baby Jesus instead of carrying the Mary and Joseph Santos.
The child playing Mary placed the baby Jesus in the manger at the church and
all sang ÒSilent NightÓ before the reception. At the San Jose mission
celebration, the team created an altarito in the local school gym since
there was not a reception area at the mission church. Las Posadas is
flexible to each churchÕs needs and parameters and can be adapted to any
situation.
The
original authority granted to the missionaries to New Spain/Mexico provided a
flexibility that is still enjoyed by contemporary Las Posadas planning.
Religiosamente, las nueve jornadas simbolizaban
tambiŽn los nueve meses de embarazo de Mar’a. Adrade agrega que: ÒEl religioso
agustino fray Diego de Soria, prior del Convento de San Agust’n Acolman, obtuvo
durante su estancia en Roma, una bula del papa Sixto V para celebrar en la
Nueva Espa–a unas misas llamadas de aguinaldo, que deber’an celebrarse del dia
16 al 24 del mes de deciembre de cada a–o. (Verti, Libro 62) Religiously, the
nine journeys also symbolize the nine months of MaryÕs pregnancy. The
investigator Germ‡n Andrade Labastida adds that, Òthe Augustinian religious
brother Diego de Soria, the prior of the San Agust’n Acolman convent, obtained
during his stay in Rome, a papal bull from Pope Sixtus V which granted
permission to celebrate in the New Spain some masses called Aguinaldo,
that they were able to celebrate from the 16th to the 24th
of the month of December of every year.Ó
ÒPope Sixtus V reigned for five years from 1586 to
1590 and it was in 1586 that this popular tradition which is still so firmly
entrenched was initiated, as we have just noted, at Acolman.Ó (Rublœo, 93) The
papal bull granted the permission of the masses of Aguinaldo to commence
in the convent and church, though there was resistance from the natives to
celebrate inside these buildings. This may have led to the decline in
popularity of the Masses of Aguinaldo as Las Posadas became more
popular. The converted Aztec insisted on celebrating Las Posadas in
their homes as they were accustomed to doing in their pagan rituals. The
missionaries adjusted Las Posadas to accommodate the Aztec culture,
while creating a religious celebration authorized by a Papal Bull.
The papal bull was released Apud Sanctum Marcum,
and is dated August 5, 1586. Initially, I thought that this was the name of the
Papal Bull. I was informed by Rev. Karl Gersbach of Villanova University that Apud
Sanctum Marcum means that the bull was issued from the Palace of St. Mark
in Rome. In all of my references and research no author mentions the bull by
name. Rev. Gersbach was kind enough to share with me the Bullarium Ordinis
Sancti Augustini: Vol. V edited by
Carolus Alonso, OSA which shows that on August 5, 1586 there were two Papal
Bulls released: ÒLicet is de cuiusÓ and ÒSalvatoris Domini nostriÓ.
ÒLicet is de cuiusÓ is the actual name of the Papal Bull granting
perpetual indulgences for the converts participating in Òmisas de AguinaldoÓ.
ÒThen at the beginning of the triennium there commenced the ancient devotion to
our sacred Religion, to sing the dawn masses which are called Òde aguinaldoÓ
for the nine days before Christmas and they were the first to be sung in this
Kingdom and since it is such a happy season and their devotion is so great and
they are sung with such solemnity there was great attendance by the faithful
and they were received with applause and of great aid in this was a Bull of His
Holiness Sixtus V given at Rome APUD SANCTUM MARCUM the 5 of August of 1586 in
the second year of his pontificate in which he granted plenary indulgence and
remission of all their sins to those who having confessed and taken communion
would attend these masses and to the Indians who should attend them after only
being confessed so that in this manner the churches of the hermits of St. Augustine which are in the
Indies are the most frequented and revered, particularly by the Indians.Ó
(Grijalva 229) Fray Diego de Soria became prior of Mexico in 1589 and began the
misas de Aguinaldo, the precursor of Las Posadas.
En 1589 era prior de MŽxico, y en ese a–o se comenzaron a cantar las misas de Aguinaldo, nueve dias antes de NavidadÉ (Zavala 662) In 1589 (Fray Diego de Soria) was the Prior of Mexico and in that year began the singing of