Semana Santa

13 April 2014 - Palm Sunday in Spain


Celebrating the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem - the beginning of Semana Santa - Holy Week -
 Christians all over the world proclaimed Hosanna to the King of Kings and waved their palm fronds or in our case, we waved olive tree branches. Walking to church today in the town I am staying - Alcala de Henares we saw people carrying their branches.

Everywhere we go it is quite easy to get there by walking. I enjoy so much seeing the ordinary scenes of life as we go by.

We hear church bells all day long from churches that are three and four hundred years old - it is all very comforting and joyful.

But today is Palm Sunday - so we were able to catch glimpses of people returning home from church.

This looked like to me a little girl and her Grandfather going to church.

Finding God in Segovia

30 April 2011

There are many beautiful churches that we have seen in Spain. Some are a little worse for wear - but I can't imagine the cost involved of maintaining these enormous structures. The oldest we have been in so far is The Church of St. Martin in Segovia, dating from the 10th Century. This church has existed through conquest of Spain by Moors, the Crusades, wars with France, and Civil War. The Church of St. Martin still holds worship services here on a regular basis.

As I walked through the sanctuary, I tried to imagine the people that have come here over the years seeking hope, solace, calming fears and looking for God. They weren't any different from us. They prayed for safe return for husbands at war, sick or dying children, good crops and prosperous futures for themselves and their children.

Even if they could read or write, they didn't have access to the Scriptures. Their experience with meeting God was through hearing His Word during Mass and visualizing what Heaven, Salvation and Judgement were through the art and architecture they were surrounded with.

They weren't very different from us.