Easter

I'm not very religious, usually only allowing my mom's big concert nights or dad's fear for my immortal soul to get me anywhere near a church so it was a little bit surprising that only a few hours after touching down in Bangkok I found myself in my "Sunday best" listening to mass in a language I could not comprehend at all.  In the next three days I would experience a further three masses, a stations of the cross and a rosary prayer service.

My family in Thailand is part of the very close-knit and strong Thai-Catholic Community and while I was told it would be "okay" for me to bow out of services (I had plenty of ready excuses, from language to jet lag) that first night was the only time I left the actual service (I nearly passed out in my pew). While the readings and sermons went by without a hint of understanding (I usually didn't know where one stopped and the other started), the prayers unfollowable and the ceremonies all-too familiar the music was excellent, unique and uplifting and any time I could spend with my family, I feel, was time well spent.

On Easter Day itself I was actually brought by my cousin and his fiance to her hometown diocese where a sort of shrine and museum to a famous Thai martyr is entombed. The church and shrine were actually beautiful and the story of the martyr  Philip Siphong Onphitak was told with such passion and true belief that even someone who has been so far removed from the church was impressed and moved. I also got to meet my cousin's fiance's aunt who is a chatty and hilarious woman who I completely adore and hope to meet again soon and all in all it was a great time (with added nun-snack pickup on the way back!).

Later, back in Bangkok after another mass that stunned me with its stages of the cross ceremony and music (here's a link to the church's music page: http://www.catholic.or.th/service/song/) and had one of the best after parties where I got to chat with an American-Thai and his family with having home cooked noodles and coffee. At this last part I really got the feel of the community and had a lot of fun just mingling and looking lost in the crowd.

I have to say, while none of this served to "bring be back into the fold" or anything like that, I was surprised how easy it was to both slip back on the ceremonial shoes (I never understood the priests when they were speaking English anyway) and I did get to call home and tell them how religious I'd been for the week (which I'm sure they got a kick out of).