Room for a savior
Church members re-enact Joseph and Mary’s quest for lodging on the first Christmas.
For several nights preceding Christmas, parishioners of a south Oklahoma City Catholic church gathered to re-enact a part of the biblical story of Jesus' birth.
The re-enactment, called Las Posadas, featured youths at Little Flower Catholic Church portraying Mary and Joseph and imitating the couple's search for a "room in the inn" more than 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem.
They made their way through the sanctuary and outside courtyard of the church at 1125 S Walker, followed by parishioners singing songs about their journey.
Luke 2: 6-7, chronicles the story: "While they were there, the time came for her Child to be born. And she gave birth to her firstborn, a Son. She wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn."
About 140 people attended Tuesday's Las Posadas, which was the fifth of seven nights of such activities at the church, 1125 S Walker. Mary and Joseph, portrayed by siblings Andrea Parra, 15, and Daniel Parra, 10, made several stops before a group in the church sanctuary welcomed them in.
Steeped in tradition
The Rev. Jorge Cabrera, the church's pastor, said Las Posadas' popularity is heightened at parishes like Little Flower, where a majority of parishioners are of Mexican descent.
In places such as Mexico City, where the tradition is extremely popular, Las Posadas festivities begin in a family home, and other families agree to host a gathering on one of the nights of the custom. Each host family symbolizes the innkeepers Joseph and Mary encountered in Bethlehem.
People who gather at the homes sing songs, including one about being pilgrims on a journey.
Las Posadas processions generally end on the ninth day, Christmas Eve, with a party and dramatization at a local church or community center. The gatherings typically include reflections from the Bible and prayer.
It's common in Mexico to have Las Posadas parades with a re-enactment of Joseph leading Mary on a donkey through the streets. The procession ends at the home of a family portraying innkeepers who allow the couple and other pilgrims in to pray.
In America, many people gather at their churches for
Telling the story
Cabrera said people are drawn to the events because of the different devotional readings they share together, the reenactments, singing and traditional food and drink distributed afterward.
He said the activities also are a way to tell the story of Christmas in a vibrant and visual way to parishioners of all ages and their friends and family.
"The Catholic Church from the earliest times, used re-enactments to evangelize because most people didn't know how to read or write," Cabrera said.
"So this is our legacy of those times."
After Tuesday's Las Posadas re-enactment, parishioners enjoyed Mexican hot chocolate, sweet bread and ponche, a traditional Mexican Christmas punch.
As she and her brother sipped hot chocolate, Andrea Parra said the opportunity to portray Mary, Jesus' mother, was "heartwarming."
"It was actually a great experience. I have never been a part of something like that."
Cabrera said different groups in the church select individuals to portray Mary and Joseph each night of the Las Posadas events.
"Many children are drawn to this. They like the story of Mary and Joseph and so they are excited to play them," he said.